A Stroll Through Your Dream
by Artemis1
Summary: Mamoru is an astronaut who is involved in an accident after a successful flight mission.... Usagi is chosen as his nurse...
1. A Stroll Through Your Dream - prologue -

Disclaimer : I don't own Sailor Moon etc. etc.  
  
A.N This is gonna be a weird story... I just know it ^_-  
Partly due to the fact that :  
a) I've just eaten some Ritz (well I was hungry)  
b) I've read 'The Sandman Book of Dreams' edited by Neil Gaiman  
and Ed Kramer (I think) which is reeeally good and makes me  
want to know what 'The Sandman' comic actually is.  
and finally, c) I'm listening to trancy music ^_^  
  
Hope the outcome is good =9  
  
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A Stroll Through Your Dream  
  
By Artemis  
  
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PROLOGUE  
  
Mamoru Chiba floated blissfully. His mind was as clear as a  
summer sky. Silence was all he could hear. But of course,  
silence couldn't be heard. He saw the burning stars, millions  
of them. His hand reached out, as if to grab one.  
"Hey Mamoru, you all right there?" a voice buzzed in through  
his helmet.  
"Sure, I'm fine," Mamoru replied. "Sorry, taking too long out  
here am I?"  
"No, go right ahead. Take a nice evening stroll. We got all  
the time in the world," the voice laughed.  
"Thanks," Mamoru smiled.  
He gazed out into the universe, stretching out into oblivion.  
Below him was the Earth in all it's magnificent glory. A blue,  
planet. The most beautiful planet in the solar system.  
"I'm finally here," he whispered to himself. "And it was worth  
everything I sacrificed."  
He started to make his way back to the shuttle, inching closer  
and closer.  
"We're almost undertime Mamoru," another voice buzzed in.  
"Really? We're doing really good aren't we?" Mamoru replied in  
disbelief. "Maybe we should stop off on the moon and take some  
souveneirs back with us."  
The voice laughed. "You wish Mamoru!"  
Mamoru finally got back to the bay on the side of the shuttle.  
Chemicals washed his space suit and he walked into a separate  
compartment and slipped out of the suit. He returned to his  
crew and they all couldn't help smiling. The mission was a  
huge success.  
"I suppose they won't mind if we get home a little early huh?"  
Mamoru shrugged. "Why not?"  
Another crew member switched on the controls and contacted  
home base, informing them of the early flight home.  
  
They headed home, having to have to orbit the Earth first  
and then eventually come back around and then enter the Earth's  
atmosphere.  
"If we could have coffee here, I'd be having some right now,"  
Mamoru laughed.  
"Yeah, same, I need a cup too," the others agreed.  
They floated leisurely, then started to strap themselves into  
the seats as they readied themselves to enter the Earth's orbit.  
All of a sudden, one of the warning lights flashed. All eyes  
turned instantaneously and at the same time. They held their  
breath as one of them checked it out.  
"Some kind of moving objects are heading to Earth.. Most likely  
an asteroid shower."  
"That's all right then," one of the female crew sighed in relief.  
"Got us all worried for a second."  
"You sure we shouldn't report this?"  
"Well the computer says it's no big deal. The largest asteroid  
is only the size of a golf ball."  
"This shuttle can handle that."  
They all sighed in relief and returned to their chattering,  
although the excited atmosphere was dulled. Mamoru still felt  
alerted in the back of his mind. Any warning made him stay on  
his toes. The other members all probably had thoughts kept tucked  
away in the back of their mind too, but they tried not to show  
it.  
"Okay let's go home," Mamoru shouted and they all settled down.  
He somehow felt uncomfortable with the idea of the asteroid shower,  
but tried to forget about it. Just as they were about to enter  
the Earth's atmosphere, they felt the shuttle jolt. Asteroids?  
It had to be.  
"I feel like I'm in a tin can and it's raining outside," one of  
the guys joked to lighten up the situation.  
Deep inside, all of them feared for the worst. Mamoru gulped  
and ignored the constant tinkling against the side of the shuttle.  
It was only a small asteroid shower. It would be over and they  
would be home. He would have his feet on the ground any moment  
now. He convinced himself that once they were in the Earth's  
atmosphere, the asteroids would disintegrate anyway. He cleared  
his mind of all negative thoughts and concentrated on the entry.  
Things ran smoothly and they started descending. They were half  
way there when they all heard a loud crack. And the whole shuttle  
shuddered. Mamoru's head spun.  
"What the hell was that!?" he shouted.  
He looked frantically at the lights beeping at him, but the entry  
made the whole shuttle shake and he couldn't react fast enough.  
The shuttle slammed into the ocean as helicopters were already  
on the way there to rescue the astronauts.  
  
Inside the hospital, doctors rushed to attend the survivors.  
Miraculously, all of them survived. But they were badly injured.  
The supervisor of rescue operations followed them in and then  
was turned away. He managed to watch them being taken further  
down the corridor. A hand grabbed his shoulder. He turned and  
saw a young woman with hazel eyes and dark brown hair, tightly  
pulled up into a bun. She was dressed smartly and he noticed  
her access card hanging around her neck.  
"What the hell do you think you're doing with those astronauts  
in this hospital?" she asked, her voice piercing the tense  
atmosphere.  
"They're badly injured, this was the closest place!" he told her.  
"You are in no position nor authority to make that judgement.  
You deliberately disobeyed our orders to bring them back to base!"  
"Base is two hours away! They could be dead by then!"  
"What about the public's safety? Those astronauts haven't been  
quarantined. We don't know what kind of bacteria they might have  
brought back!" she argued.  
"We treated them in the helicopters! They aren't a threat!  
Besides, this whole ward is special quarantine area!" he argued  
back, frustrated.  
"That is still no excuse! It's dangerous! Do you know how much  
trouble you've caused us? How am I to explain this irrational  
behaviour?" the woman sighed, glaring at the man. "We should have  
followed procedure!"  
"To hell with procedure! They're dying in there!" he shouted,  
pointing down the corridor. "And all you can think about is  
procedure!?"  
  
In the opposite wing of the hospital, Usagi Tsukino was carrying  
spare towels to a room. She bumped into her co-worker and friend  
Tanya.  
"Usagi! Have you heard about the astronauts?" Tanya whispered,  
pulling Usagi around a corner.  
"Astronauts?" Usagi frowned. "From where?"  
"They crash landed and we were the closest place they could  
find with special facilites! Do you want to go have a look  
later?" Tanya jumped with excitement.  
"What condition are they in?" Usagi asked.  
"Tsukino! Moor! Get back to duty!" a head nurse glared at  
them.  
"Yes ma'am," Usagi nodded and continued walking to the room  
with her towels.  
Tanya followed, telling Usagi all she knew about the astronauts.  
"Where do you find out all this information?" Usagi frowned.  
"I have my sources," Tanya giggled.  
"And you're happy that they crash landed and came here?" Usagi sighed.  
"One of the survivors is Mamoru Chiba! Haven't you seen him on  
the news?" Tanya whispered loudly.  
Usagi told her to lower her voice as she placed towels neatly into  
patients' drawers.  
"Mamoru Chiba? I heard about him on the radio," Usagi shrugged.  
Tanya stood there speechless and stared at Usagi.  
"What?" Usagi frowned, puzzled. "Why are you looking at me like that?"  
"Mamoru Chiba is absolutely gorgeous!" Tanya shouted, then lowered  
her voice. "And he's right here! In the very building that we are!"  
"So?" Usagi sighed, fed up with Tanya's constant chatter.  
"So? So? So we can go see him! And maybe I'll get to be his friend  
and you know," Tanya grinned.  
Usagi rolled her eyes. Tanya always chattered about good looking men  
and she never shut up.  
"I mean this is why I joined nursing! Good looking guys!" Tanya sighed  
dreamily.  
"Are you serious Tanya?" Usagi asked in disbelief and disgust.  
"Well..."  
"I don't believe you!" Usagi shouted, then stormed out of the room.  
Tanya followed and tried to apologise, but she got cut off.  
"Those astronauts are dying! And all you can think about is that one  
of them might want to go out with you? What kind of nurse are you!?"  
Tanya watched Usagi storm off. She felt slightly guilty, but then  
annoyed that Usagi didn't understand.  
  
Usagi walked around, frustrated with Tanya.  
"Tsukino!" a head nurse called her.  
"Yes?" she asked, trying to cool down.  
"To Head Nurse Burgette's office please!"  
The head nurse hurried away and left Usagi to ponder. Usagi walked  
over to the office and knocked nervously.  
"Come in!"  
Usagi walked in and saw two NASA officials and a man that looked  
like a search and rescue person. Two doctors, one being her friend  
Ami, and a surgeon and Head Nurse Burgette stood in the room.  
"Am I in trouble?" was the first thing Usagi asked.  
"No, you're not," the search and rescue-ish person replied.  
"This is nurse Tsukino," Head Nurse Burgette introduced her  
to the three outsiders. "This is Officer Swanson and Deputy Chief  
of Operations, Grace Thompson. And this is Supervisor of  
Rescue Operations, Michael Haybert."  
"Nice to meet you," Usagi smiled politely to all of them.  
She glanced nervously at Ami, who smiled and reassured her.  
"The reason you were called here was because we need nurses to  
look after the astronauts for the following four nights and five days  
until their condition improves. Only then can we transfer them  
to NASA HQ," Grace informed Usagi, with a hint of superiority in  
her tone. "And Mr Haybert thought that you would be fit to look  
after one of them."  
Usagi looked at Michael Haybert in surprise.  
"Why me?" she murmured.  
"I overheard something you said," he admitted, slightly embarrassed.  
Usagi realised maybe he had overheard what she shouted to Tanya.  
"Anyway, I thought you would have the right attitude to treat  
one of our crew," Michael smiled cheerfully. "If you don't mind,  
that is."  
Grace cut him short. "This means you will be assigned to the  
designated ward and only carry out tasks related to your patient.  
No other contact with any other wards or nurses will be prohibited,  
unless you have gained permission to do so. The necessary staff will  
be accesibly in the same ward. Dr Mizuno will be the only person  
to grant permission."  
Usagi nodded. "I see."  
"We know you're only a junior nurse at the moment, so if you feel  
that this is too hard on you, it's okay to say no," Head Nurse  
Burgette smiled.  
"She's a junior nurse!?" Grace laughed. "That's ridiculous! There  
is no way that she is going to look after one of our most treasured  
astronauts!"  
"Treasured? Yeah right, that's not how you felt about them when  
you found out they were coming here," Michael muttered, only so  
Grace could hear.  
She glared at him. "Sorry to have disturbed you nurse.. Tsukino?  
You won't be needed."  
Usagi was a little confused but nodded and smiled politely.  
"Wait a second, you can't just dismiss her like that!" Michael  
complained to Grace. "Just because she's a junior nurse, doesn't  
mean she's not up to the job!"  
"How long have you been working as a nurse?" Grace asked Usagi,  
with an intimidating look.  
"A year.." Usagi replied.  
"She's only been here for a year Haybert! Do you think she can  
handle this? These are extremely sensitive patients in severe  
conditions!" Grace argued with Michael.  
"I can handle sensitive patients," Usagi spoke up.  
"See? She says she can do it!" Michael frowned.  
Grace glanced at Usagi, then looked back at Michael.  
"Why did you choose her anyway? Got a little crush on the cute  
blonde?" Grace laughed.  
"That's not very professional Thompson!" Michael scowled.  
"Well it doesn't seem like you chose very professionally either!"  
They glared at each other as the rest of the members in the room  
watched silently. Finally, Usagi spoke up.  
"Who would be my patient, if I do end up being someone's nurse?"  
Grace and Michael both turned to Usagi.  
"Mamoru Chiba," Michael told her. "He'll be your patient."  
"What!? That's even worse! He's the best astronaut we have!"  
Grace shouted furiously.  
"That's exactly why!" Michael grinned. "All the nurses I've talked  
to so far have heard of Mamoru only because he's good looking."  
"And why is nurse Tsukino different?" Grace frowned.  
"Well, what kind of nurse are you if you only care about getting  
a date with one of the astronauts?" Michael slightly rephrased,  
what Usagi had shouted to Tanya before.  
Michael smiled to Usagi with confidence.  
"What are you talking about Haybert?"  
"That's what I heard nurse Tsukino say to her friend," Michael told  
Grace. "And I thought, she's the perfect nurse for Mamoru!"  
"If you don't mind, I'd like to take up your offer," Usagi smiled,  
to everyone's surprise.  
  
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END OF PROLOGUE  
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	2. A Stroll Through Your Dream - part one -

Disclaimer : I don't own Sailor Moon etc. etc.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A Stroll Through Your Dream  
  
By Artemis  
  
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PART ONE  
  
Usagi arrived early to the hospital. She had her hair tied  
up in a pony tail and she wore casual clothes.  
"Nurse Tsukino?" she heard a familiar voice call her.  
Usagi turned and saw Michael Haybert. She smiled.  
"Hi Mr uh Haybert?" she greeted him nervously.  
"Michael's fine," he nodded. "I'll show you to the quarantined  
limited access ward. You'll need to get an access card first."  
Usagi nodded and followed Michael to a room in a wing of the  
hospital she had never seen before. Inside the room, there  
was a guardman who nodded to Michael. They walked through  
another door and this time it was a smaller room with a cabinet  
and a table.  
"Right," Michael murmured and took and envelope from the cabinet.  
"Here's your access card," he handed it to her. "Don't lose it.  
But if you do, just ask me for another one."  
Usagi nodded. He asked her to fill in a form. She read it  
carefully before signing anything. Michael told her she could  
sit down if she wanted to. Usagi sat down and filled in the  
form slowly. Michael stood against the wall and watched her.  
What Grace had said the day before hadn't been a complete lie,  
but he didn't have a crush on Usagi. He just found her a little  
attractive as well as thinking she was a good nurse.  
"I'm done," Usagi smiled and looked up.  
Michael broke free from his gaze and smiled.  
"Thanks."  
He took the form from her and slipped it into a folder.  
"We have to go through quarantine and you'll be given a new  
nurses uniform everyday. At the end of each day, you just need  
to get changed and then give your uniform to one of the quarantine  
staff when you leave. They'll dispose of it," he explained to her.  
Usagi nodded.  
  
Inside, everything was sparkling clean and even the air tasted  
different. Usagi followed Michael into the quarantine area.  
"You go in first, they'll tell you what to do," he smiled.  
Usagi nodded and walked through a glass door. She followed  
the instructions and changed into the nurse's uniform they  
gave her. It fit perfectly. Usagi was impressed. They took  
her clothes to clean. Then Usagi walked through another set  
of doors and followed procedures. The ward looked like any  
other ward in the hospital. There were large windows letting  
in soft light and the beds were spaced out in a large room.  
"So, this is where you'll be working for four nights and  
five days," she heard Michael's voice behind her.  
Usagi turned and saw Michael, dressed in a white uniform.  
"Great!" Usagi smiled enthusiastically. "Where's Mr Chiba?"  
"I'll show him to you," Michael nodded. "Technically I'm  
not supposed to be here, but Grace can just grin and bear  
it."  
"You two don't get along do you?" Usagi asked as they  
walked along.  
"Well, she's too professional and cold. Even though I'm  
rescue operations supervisor, I like to take this less  
serious without too much procedure. She's never been involved  
in the work, that's why she doesn't understand how  
instincts work," Michael shrugged. "But she's not a bad  
person. I've met her before out of work and she was  
okay."  
Usagi nodded. They approached a bed and Michael stopped.  
A man probably the same age as Michael lay in the bed,  
the only movement being his chest rising and falling  
from the even breathing.  
"This is your patient, Mamoru Chiba," Michael told Usagi,  
looking less cheerful.  
Usagi looked at Mamoru. His face had a few grazes and  
his left arm was bandaged.  
"What's his condition?" she asked.  
"The others are doing okay, but Mamoru so far hasn't  
woken up from a sort of coma. We think he'll be waking  
up sometime today or tonight."  
"I see."  
"Dr Mizuno said he could probably hear us, but he's  
sort of inbetween consciousness and deep sleep."  
Usagi nodded. "So what do I do with him?"  
"I suppose there's not much you can do now I guess...  
You'll have to wait until he's awake. I'll keep you  
company if you want."  
"Thanks," Usagi smiled. "Maybe you can tell me about  
your work?"  
"It's a little confidential," Michael grinned. "You know,  
NASA government stuff."  
Usagi nodded.  
"What about you? How come you're a nurse?" Michael asked.  
Although, he felt he didn't need to ask. He could already  
see why Usagi was a nurse. She was polite, nice and very  
patient.  
"Well... I just always thought it would be really great  
to work at a place where people made miracles happen," she  
smiled, a little embarrassed. "It sounds silly I know, but  
that's all there is to it. That's why I wanted to be a nurse."  
"That's not silly," Michael reassured her. "It sounds cute."  
Usagi blushed. Michael seemed amused at Usagi's reaction.  
They kept talking, getting to know each other better.  
  
Mamoru lay in his dream, hearing a voice every now and then.  
The voice was female, a happy sort of voice that made him  
feel pleasant. He wasn't sure if the voice was part of his  
dream or not. He didn't even know if he was dreaming or  
he was dead or floating unconscious in the ocean. He felt  
a pain in his arm. It throbbed. Mamoru could smell blood  
all around him. He could taste it in his mouth.  
"Oh dear, what happened to you?" he heard a little girl  
speaking to him.  
Mamoru looked around and saw a little blonde haired girl,  
looking at him with a puzzled expression.  
"Me?" he asked.  
The girl nodded.  
"I.. I got hurt.." he murmured. "I don't know.."  
"You're hurt?" she asked, worried.  
"Who are you?" he asked, confused.  
His head started to hurt too.  
"My mummy's going to have a baby," the girl beamed happily.  
Mamoru was completely confused, but he listened.  
"A brother for me," she giggled. "And I'll be a big girl  
and look after him!"  
She made Mamoru smile a little. He coughed, spluttering blood.  
The little girl seemed not to notice all the blood around him.  
"Are they roses?" she asked, looking over to something that  
Mamoru couldn't see.  
"Roses? Where?" he murmured.  
He felt dizzy.  
"In the vase, silly!" she giggled. "They're so pretty! Are they  
yours?"  
"I think so..." Mamoru played along with it.  
"Did somebody give them to you?"  
Mamoru felt like he had heard this all somewhere before, but  
he didn't have the strength to remember.  
"I think a friend of mine did," he murmured.  
"They smell so nice! Just like my mummy!"  
"Would you like one?" he offered, even though he couldn't  
even see them.  
"Really? Can I have one?"  
"Sure," Mamoru smiled, then muttered to himself. "Why not?  
I can't even see them."  
Suddenly, a single rose appeared in her hand. She smiled.  
"Thank you!"  
"No problems," he shrugged.  
"I'll keep this forever! I hope you get better!"  
Mamoru watched the little girl turn and run away, her blonde  
pigtails bobbing up and down.  
"Bye..." Mamoru sighed, then closed his eyes to go to sleep.  
But wasn't he already asleep, dreaming? He was confused.  
  
Usagi sat alone next to Mamoru. Michael left earlier, so  
she sat there praying. She didn't know who this man was,  
but she prayed for him to wake up. She kneeled beside  
the bed and rested her elbows on the edge of the bed.  
She closed closed her eyes and touched her clasped hands  
to her chin.  
  
Mamoru opened his eyes and found himself alive and breathing.  
His eyes only opened a little. He heard a female voice whispering.  
He looked around and saw a blonde haired girl praying by his  
bedside.  
"Who are you?" he managed to murmur, his throat was dry and his  
lips cracked.  
Her eyes flicked open and stared at him.  
"I..I'm your nurse! Nurse Tsukino!" she told him, stammering.  
Mamoru closed his eyes again because his head hurt.  
  
Usagi saw him close his eyes again and her heart sank, but  
she called over a doctor standing nearby. The doctor only came  
in time to see Mamoru slip into his coma state again.  
"He woke up and fell asleep again? Let's just hope he's actually  
only resting," the doctor murmured.  
Usagi nodded and watched her patient. She kept her eyes fixed  
on him for any other signs.  
  
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END OF PART ONE  
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	3. A Stroll Through Your Dream - part two -

Disclaimer : I don't own Sailor Moon etc. etc.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A Stroll Through Your Dream  
  
By Artemis  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
PART TWO  
  
Mamoru woke up somewhere completely different. He was no longer  
in the hospital, but now in a flower bed. The blonde haired  
girl he had just seen resembled the little girl in his dream.  
What was her name? Tsukino.. Tsuki... The moon.. Mamoru thought  
about the mission and his head started to hurt again.  
"Don't think so hard sweet heart," a soft, gentle voice whispered.  
Mamoru looked around, surprised and his eyes met with warm,  
smiling eyes. Golden hair lay around her.  
"Who are you?" he asked, drowsy.  
"I am the little girl who lives in your heart and the one you  
have locked away in your mind," she smiled.  
"But you're not little..." he stated the obvious.  
"Hush, you're thinking too hard," she murmured and stroked his  
soft, black hair.  
She kissed him on the forehead where his graze was. He flinched.  
"Remember me?" she whispered.  
"No.." Mamoru muttered. "What's with all the blonde's?"  
He was completely confused.  
"We're all the same person," the young woman told him.  
He noticed she was wearing a silvery white dress. A princess?  
"I don't know you.. I've never met you."  
"Yes you have."  
"I think I'd know."  
"Well then you have forgotten or you have not remembered yet."  
Mamoru gave up. He gazed into her eyes and felt relaxed.  
He felt tired and gradually closed his eyes.  
"Sweet dreams," he heard her whisper.  
  
Mamoru felt a warm, gentle hand stroking his hair as he drifted  
into consciousness. It could have been his sub-conscious for all  
he knew. She heard a sweet voice singing a lullaby. He opened  
his eyes and this time, the light was dim and grey. Mamoru realised  
that it was the nurse who was singing. Nurse Tsukino. She hadn't  
seen his eyes open yet. He could smell a delicate, sweet scent.  
A rose? He was feeling dizzy from all the dreaming. Or were they  
dreams? He somehow felt that they weren't a dream, but a part of  
his reality. No matter how impossible it seemed.  
"Nurse Tsukino?" he murmured.  
She finally realised that he was awake.  
"Oh, you're awake?" she gasped, startled. "How are you feeling?"  
Usagi pressed a button on the wall.  
"I'm thirsty..." he croaked.  
"People will be here to help you real soon," she smiled.  
Mamoru grabbed her hand and held them. Her skin felt smooth and  
soft. Like a rose petal.  
"Do you like roses?" he asked.  
"I.. I like roses," she nodded.  
Usagi was puzzled by the question, but thought it as normal for  
someone who had concussion.  
  
Suddenly, the door opened and people streamed in. Ami was there,  
and hurried to her friend.  
"How is he?" she asked.  
"He's fine," Usagi replied, standing up.  
She slipped her hands out of his, even though she could see him  
grabbing for them again. Usagi stood aside as the doctors came  
to look at him.  
"Has he said anything?" a doctor asked Usagi.  
"He said he was thirsty when I asked him how he felt," Usagi  
answered quietly. "And he also asked me if I liked roses..."  
"He asked you what?" the doctor frowned.  
"If I liked roses.. I thought it was strange too."  
"Thank you nurse Tsukino. You can have a break now. I'm sure  
you need some sleep."  
"No, I want to stay with him tonight."  
  
After the doctors left, Usagi resumed her position beside his bed.  
Mamoru looked tired and weary.  
"I had the weirdest dreams," he spoke to her, a little less drowsy  
and more awake. "And I think you were there... or was that when I  
woke up before? I don't know.. It was so confusing.."  
Usagi smiled. "It's okay, don't think too hard."  
Mamoru felt dizzy when Usagi told him that. Had he heard that  
somewhere?  
"Have I met you somewhere before?" he asked her, confused.  
"I don't think so," Usagi laughed a little. "I think you're  
just still a little tired."  
"Do I get to eat?" he murmured.  
"Well, you're being fed by a drip. Don't worry, you're probably  
not as hungry as you think you are."  
"Great."  
Mamoru gazed into her eyes and felt relaxed. He had felt that  
before too... Or had he?  
"Are you tired? Do you want me to go?" she whispered softly to him.  
"No, I'd like it if you stayed," he smiled weakly.  
Usagi smiled back. He took her hand once more and felt better.  
"What's your name?" he asked.  
"Usagi Tsukino," she told him.  
"You know mine?"  
"Of course. Mamoru Chiba."  
He turned away from her and stared up at the ceiling.  
"How long am I staying here?" he murmured.  
"Well, four days and five nights. Then you go back to NASA."  
"Did you meet Michael?"  
"Michael Haybert? I met him."  
"He's a nice guy huh?"  
"Sure is."  
"Will he be coming to visit?"  
"He should come tomorrow."  
Mamoru nodded, satsified. He looked at Usagi again.  
"How old are you?" he asked.  
Usagi hesitated before answering. "I'm 22."  
"Just curious. Sorry."  
"It's okay," she smiled.  
Usagi couldn't help but smile when his deep blue eyes, like a  
bottomless ocean, looked at her.  
"What's the time?" he asked.  
Usagi glanced over to a clock on the wall.  
"Three in the morning," she told him.  
"What!?" he shouted, staring at her in disbelief. "What are you  
still doing here?"  
"I'm a nurse Mr Chiba," she smiled. "It's my job to take care  
of a patient."  
"Call me Mamoru please," he told her.  
She nodded.  
"I'd feel better if you went home or had some sleep."  
"I suppose I ought to go soon. I might sleep in."  
Usagi stood up and tucked her chair away. Mamoru watched her  
clean up and tuck him in.  
"Sweet dreams," she smiled.  
"Yeah..." Mamoru nodded and felt puzzled again.  
He wished that this feeling would stop. He wasn't sure where  
his dreams ended and where reality began.  
  
Usagi stopped by Ami's office. She peeked in and saw her friend  
asleep on her desk. She giggled.  
"Ami!" she whispered.  
Ami didn't stir. Usagi walked in, closed the door, then walked up  
to the desk. She shook Ami lightly and woke her up.  
"Usagi? Hm? Where am I?" she murmured.  
"In your office," Usagi giggled. "You were sleeping!"  
"What's the time?"  
"Three in the morning."  
"Oh great... Are you going now?"  
"Yeah. There's no overnight facilities here are there?"  
"No, sorry. I'll leave with you, hold on."  
Usagi waited for Ami to pack up. They left the hospital together.  
Ami gave Usagi a lift home, to be safe.  
  
In the car, Usagi hummed a lullaby.  
"Happy with your patient?" Ami asked.  
"Yup!"  
"You and Mr Haybert seemed a bit chummy."  
"Me and Michael!?" Usagi huffed.  
"Oooh you and Michael?" Ami sang and teased Usagi.  
Usagi blushed. "It's nothing like that!"  
"Well, not that it's bad if you too get chummy. Out of work that is."  
"I know Ami. I'm not stupid. I'm not going to get involved with  
anybody."  
"You never know Usagi. You never know."  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
END OF PART TWO  
------------------------------------------------------------ 


	4. A Stroll Through Your Dream - part three...

Disclaimer : I don't own Sailor Moon etc. etc.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A Stroll Through Your Dream  
  
By Artemis  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
PART THREE  
  
Usagi woke up, feeling drowsy. She glanced over to the clock.  
"Ten thirty!? I'm late!!!!!!!" she screamed and jumped out  
of bed.  
She had to forget about a shower, maybe she could have one at  
the hospital. She brushed her hair and munched on an apple.  
Usagi threw on some clothes, grabbed her car keys and bag  
and ran out of her apartment. On the way out of the lobby,  
she ran head on into a person. They both fell to the floor.  
Usagi got up and apologised straight away, while she rubbed  
the back of her head. She gave the person a hand and realised  
that it was Michael.  
"Michael? What are you doing here?" she asked.  
"Well you're late," he grinned. "But obviously you know that too."  
"Am I in deep trouble? Is Ms Thompson going to yell at me?"  
Usagi sighed, upset.  
"I'll give you a lift," he offered and headed out.  
  
When Usagi arrived, she saw Ami standing by Mamoru's bedside.  
He was asleep again.  
"Sorry I'm late," she whispered to Ami.  
Ami glanced over to Michael, who was a few metres away.  
"What?" Usagi frowned.  
"What's he doing here with you?" Ami asked, a hint of suspicion.  
"He gave me a lift Ami, no big deal."  
Ami nodded. "Sorry.. but you know, it's going to be you who's  
in trouble if you get involved with any of the staff working  
here. Not that he's staff.. but you know.."  
"I know Ami!" Usagi sighed. "Anyway, is Mamoru okay?"  
"He's fine. He asked for you, then fell asleep again. We don't  
know why he falls asleep so often. And he seems a little  
confused and disorientated every time he wakes up," Ami whispered.  
"He told me he's had really weird dreams."  
"Must be from the concussion."  
Usagi glanced over to see if Michael was still there, but he  
was gone. She looked around and saw him talking to another  
patient, obviously a friend of his. Then for the first time,  
Usagi noticed that Mamoru was the only astronaut here who hadn't  
fully recovered.  
"Ami, how come all the others are sitting up and eating and  
everything?" she asked.  
"You didn't notice?" Ami laughed. "Well the others have steadily  
regained their strength. Mamoru.... for some reason hasn't."  
Usagi frowned. She wondered if it had anything to do with his  
dreams.  
"Well, I'll leave you to look after him now," Ami smiled and  
handed her a progress report. "I've got to go meet Grace."  
"Bye Ami."  
  
Mamoru found himself in his dream again. But he felt different.  
He looked at his arms. They were smaller and bandaged loosely.  
"What's going on?" he muttered and heard his voice echo.  
He sounded like a child. His head hurt again, stabbing pains  
behind his eyes. He turned around and found a young boy  
looking at him. A young boy with dark blue eyes and glossy  
black hair. He reached his hand out to touch the boy, but  
he soon found out that the boy was an image. The image rippled  
and shattered, then disappeared. His feet stepped on broken  
glass. No, it wasn't glass... A mirror? So was he the young  
boy? He shook his head. That couldn't be right... But then,  
he was in a dream. Anything was possible. He suddenly heard  
sobbing. It sounded like a little girl crying. He looked  
around frantically, but only saw murky darkness. And she  
appeared in front of him and startled him. Mamoru stepped  
back into the broken fragments of mirror. They crunched  
under his feet, but he felt no pain. It was the same little  
girl. The one with blonde pigtails.  
"What's the matter?" he asked, unable to recognise his  
own voice.  
"Your rose.. It died," she cried. "It died.. What do I do?"  
"It doesn't matter, everything dies eventually," he whispered  
softly.  
The girl looked at him with her eyes full of sorrow and fear.  
"Even me?" she murmured.  
Mamoru was surprised by the question. He didn't know how to  
answer. He looked at the little girl, her eyes still curiously  
twinkling.  
"Yes.." he answered reluctantly. "Even you will die.."  
"Not if I live in there," she smiled and pointed to him.  
Mamoru looked at her, puzzled by what she meant.  
"But if I die, then you will too," he frowned.  
The little girl shook her head, her pigtails bouncing.  
"No, but you'll live forever in here," she murmured, holding  
her hands to her heart.  
She closed her eyes and started to hum a lullaby. Mamoru recognised  
the tune from somewhere, but he couldn't remember. He felt sleepy  
and closed his eyes. The pain in his head eased.  
  
Usagi watched Michael talking to the other astronauts. She didn't  
find him especially attractive, but he wasn't unattractive either.  
And he had a cute cheesy grin. Michael caught her looking over at  
him. Their eyes met and Usagi blushed from embarrassment. He waved  
and smiled. She waved back. Usagi looked down and pretended to  
read Mamoru's progress report. She kept her head down, but out of  
the corner of her eye she could see Michael walking over to her.  
Usagi peered over the sheets of paper.  
"Hi," she murmured shyly.  
"Where you looking at me?" he grinned, that cute grin again.  
"Maybe," Usagi smiled.  
Michael grabbed a chair and sat down next to her.  
"You're friends with Mamoru, aren't you?" she asked him, looking  
away from him.  
"Yeah, I'm friends with him," he nodded. "I met him at NASA  
just before he got really famous with the mission and all."  
Usagi nodded. "When he woke up before, he asked if you were  
going to come and visit him..."  
Michael's attention diverted from Usagi to Mamoru. There was  
a comfortable silence as both of them watched Mamoru, sleeping  
peacefully.  
"Would you mind if we had coffee some time?" she heard Michael  
whisper, breaking the silence.  
Usagi turned to him, surprised and speechless. She didn't really  
know what to say.  
"I don't want to get involved with anyone I'm working with,"  
she told him honestly. "I'm sorry."  
Michael nodded. "I understand."  
He got up and tucked the chair away. "I have to go see Grace.  
Tell Mamoru I'll be back later to visit."  
Usagi nodded and smiled. Michael looked at Usagi, then turned  
and hurried away. She felt a little guilty for being too honest.  
  
Mamoru woke up from his dream and saw Usagi sitting there, staring  
out the window.  
"What's wrong?" he asked, startling her. "Sorry.."  
Usagi smiled. "No, it's okay. Nothing's wrong. How are you feeling?"  
"I'm feeling okay I think.." he mumbled.  
Usagi turned her chair around so she faced him. Mamoru could smell  
that sweet scent of roses again. Was it her?  
"Oh, I keep forgetting to ask," Mamoru murmured. "How are the others  
doing?"  
"They're fine. Most of them are almost ready to leave this hospital  
and be flown over to base, wherever that is," Usagi told him.  
Mamoru nodded. He felt a little better than before.  
"Where's Michael?" he asked her.  
At the mention of his name, Usagi's eyes looked troubled. Mamoru  
wondered why.  
"He's... coming back later," she smiled gently.  
Mamoru tried to sit up and he struggled. Usagi immediately got up  
and helped him. Usagi fixed up his blanket and pillows. Mamoru could  
smell roses. He shook his head. He looked at Usagi and felt something,  
but he wasn't sure what. His head hurt when he tried to remember.  
"Thanks," he smiled.  
Usagi smiled back.  
"So what's it like in space?" she asked him.  
"Space..." Mamoru whispered, remembering that blissful feeling.  
Usagi wondered if she should have asked.  
"It's like.. empty.. and cold... But you know you're not alone because  
you can see all the stars out there," Mamoru murmured, not really  
looking at Usagi.  
"It must really be beautiful..."  
"It is. And the Earth.. It's the most beautiful thing I've seen..."  
There was a silence as Mamoru sighed deeply. He wished he was there now.  
Usagi glanced at her watch. It was one.  
"I'll go ask Dr Mizuno if you're allowed to have solid food now,"  
she told him and got up. "I'll be back soon."  
He nodded and watched Usagi leave. She reminded him of somebody,  
but he couldn't remember who.  
  
Usagi found Ami's office. She knocked on the door and found Grace  
there as well.  
"Usagi, what is it?" Ami asked, getting up.  
"Is Mr Chiba allowed to eat solid food?" she asked Ami, feeling  
uncomfortable with the iron gaze from Grace.  
"He should be. Wait a second, I'll just get the folder," she told  
Usagi and went through some drawers.  
"Thank you Dr Mizuno, I'll see myself out," Grace spoke up and  
then turned.  
She walked past Usagi and left. Usagi sighed.  
"She makes me so nervous!" Usagi whispered to Ami.  
"Me too," Ami smiled.  
Ami got out a folder and flipped through the sheets.  
"Oh, you might want to read this. It's his personal history."  
Usagi took some sheets from Ami and browsed through. The first  
thing Usagi noticed was the fact that his parents were deceased.  
And he had no other family.  
"Do you know how his parents died?" she asked Ami.  
"They died when he was only a little boy. In a car accident."  
"Really? The poor guy.." Usagi murmured.  
"And apparently, he lost his memory when he was in hospital.  
So basically, he's been living his life being told that he is  
Mamoru Chiba, but not actually knowing who he is... Really sad."  
"But I mean he's a famous astronaut now. He must have overcome  
that."  
"Yeah... I guess so. But still, do you think you could get over it?  
You don't have anyone to ask if you really are who you're told you  
are. I wouldn't be surprised if he had an identity crisis."  
Usagi didn't feel like reading any more about Mamoru. She felt it  
wasn't right. He probably didn't want anyone knowing about it anyway.  
  
After leaving Ami's office, Usagi dropped by the food supply  
cupboard and filled a tray with what he was allowed to eat. Usagi felt  
a little depressed, first because of Michael and secondly because of  
what she read about Mamoru. She carried the tray back to the room.  
Usagi walked in the door and stopped when she saw Michael talking  
with Mamoru. She wanted to turn around and hide until Michael had gone,  
but she knew she couldn't do that. Usagi walked over to Mamoru's bed  
and Michael looked up and saw her.  
"Hi," she smiled.  
"Hi..."  
Then she turned to Mamoru and placed the tray of food on his lap.  
"Ami.. I mean, Dr Mizuno, said you could eat solid food now," she smiled.  
"Great, I'm starving," Mamoru smiled.  
"Hey, I'll see you later Mamoru," Michael said as he got up.  
Mamoru nodded. Usagi watched Michael leave. She sighed and sat down.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
END OF PART THREE  
------------------------------------------------------------ 


	5. A Stroll Through Your Dream - part four ...

Disclaimer : I don't own Sailor Moon etc. etc.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A Stroll Through Your Dream  
  
By Artemis  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
PART FOUR  
  
Michael sat in his car, wondering if he should wait for Usagi  
or go home. He glanced at his watch. It was six. He had already  
waited for an hour and he didn't know what he was doing. His  
eyes were fixed on the door of the hospital. Suddenly, he heard  
a knock on his window. He saw Grace standing there, by the  
passenger seat side. He opened his window.  
"Grace?" he frowned.  
"What are you doing here Haybert?" she asked, her voice as tense  
as usual. "Are you going to go home or wait for your little blonde  
friend?"  
Michael blushed, half from embarrassment that Grace was right and  
half from anger. He didn't need to hear this from her.  
"Leave me alone," he muttered. "If you can't say anything nice,  
then don't say anything at all."  
Grace opened the door and let herself in. She sat down, but left  
the door open.  
"You know Haybert, you're only going to get to see her tonight  
and tomorrow until noon. Why are you sitting in this car?"  
Michael looked at Grace, a little surprised and impressed that  
she was being nice.  
"She doesn't want to be involved with anyone she works with.."  
"Well she doesn't work with you."  
"I'm close enough, apparently. She didn't even agree to let me  
take her out to coffee."  
"Maybe she thinks you're a little too old for her? Ever thought  
of that?" Grace pointed out, making Michael cringe.  
"I'm not that old," he mumbled. "I'm only 26.."  
"Well, she's 22.. You're older than her," she shrugged.  
"Maybe I'll try seeing her after we get back to base..."  
"In the mean time, get some sleep. And you'd better write up  
you're 'I'm so sorry' speech for the Head of Operations.  
Let's just say he's not pleased that those astronauts are still  
here," Grace grinned. "Good night Haybert."  
She left his car and walked over to her own car. Michael started  
up his car and decided maybe he should start writing and practising  
a speech.  
  
Usagi saw Michael's car finally leave the parking lot. She moved  
away from the window and walked back over to Mamoru's bed. He was  
asleep again. She sat down beside him and held her head in her hands.  
She watched Mamoru sleeping, his breathing relaxed. She wondered  
if she had done the right thing to Michael. She had to talk to Ami  
later about that.  
  
Mamoru slipped into his dreams again. He was no longer injured.  
His head didn't hurt as much either. He wondered when he would stop  
dreaming like this.  
"Darling, you look much better," a voice thin and sweet whispered.  
The princess appeared in front of him.  
"I feel better," he agreed with her.  
"That's good. Now promise me you'll let me stay here," she smiled,  
her feet moving gracefully towards him.  
Her thin fingers reached out towards him. Mamoru watched as she  
walked closer and closer. Her finger curled up in front of him.  
Mamoru felt sharp pains behind his eyes again. He squinted, hoping  
the pain would disappear. The princess slipped her hand into his  
chest and pulled out what looked like a rose. It was dying, wilting  
and lost much of its rich, blood red colour. But in the center of  
the bud was a pink glow. The princess shook her head and clicked her  
tongue.  
"This isn't what I want," she murmured, looking at him as if waiting  
for him to tell her what she wanted. "It used to look so beautiful..."  
She raised her other hand and in her slightly curved hand, appeared  
a beautiful red rose. She held both roses in front of his eyes.  
"Everything dies eventually..." she whispered, mimicking how he had  
told the little girl with blonde pigtails. "But which do you want to  
save? The beautiful, living rose? Or the fading, dying rose?"  
"If I could save it, you mean," he frowned.  
The princess frowned, upset.  
"Fine, we'll have it your way," she told him simply and threw the old  
tattered rose away.  
"What are you doing!?" Mamoru shouted, reaching out to grab it.  
The princess pushed him down onto the ground.  
"Were you trying to save it?" she asked him, demanding an answer.  
"You were throwing it away!" he argued.  
"That's not the real reason is it?"  
The princess pointed to something behind Mamoru. He turned, to see  
the little blonde haired girl. Her pigtails bounced happily. And when  
he turned to the princess, she was gone. And where she used to be,  
were scattered red rose petals.  
"Did you want this?" the little girl asked him, holding his old  
tattered rose.  
"Yes, thank you," Mamoru smiled gratefully and took it.  
The thorns on the stem pierced his skin and blood flowed out.  
Mamoru let go of the rose, startled. Before it reached the ground,  
the little girl picked it up. She took his hands and wrapped it  
around the petals.  
"Even if it hurts, don't let it go," she smiled. "Because it's almost  
dead. And you might never see me again."  
Then she ran away, her golden pigtails bouncing. Mamoru watched her  
running and then looked at the rose. The pink glow in the centre of  
the bud shone brightly. The petals that had been brown and torn,  
were bright red from his blood. Mamoru could almost remember what  
this all meant, but he felt a stabbing pain everytime he tried to  
think. He held the rose in one hand, feeling the smooth velvet petals  
in his hand. Mamoru closed his eyes. He felt tired.  
  
When Mamoru woke up, he still felt something soft and smooth in his  
hands. He jolted up and looked at his hand. It was Usagi's hand.  
She was fast asleep, but held his hand gently. He smiled. He wondered  
what she was dreaming of. Mamoru slipped his hand out of hers and  
brushed his fringe out of his eyes. The room was dark and grey.  
He looked out the window and saw twinkling stars. Mamoru heard Usagi  
stirring. He turned to her and saw her rubbing her eyes. For a moment,  
she looked like the little girl. Mamoru stared at her. Usagi noticed  
him.  
"What is it?" she asked.  
"Nothing," he shook his head and lay back in the bed.  
"You'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon," she told him.  
Mamoru nodded. She smiled.  
"What did you dream of this time?" she asked. "Maybe you can tell me  
what your strange dreams are about."  
"Well.." Mamoru murmured, his head hurting when he tried to remember.  
Usagi watched him patiently.  
"In the first dream I had... There's this little girl," Mamoru told  
her. "She's got blonde hair and bouncing pigtails. She asks me something  
and I tell her I'm hurt. I can't remember what happens next.. That's right.  
Something about her mother.. And a brother... Then she aks me if I can  
have a rose. Then she smiles and leaves."  
Usagi heard the story of his dream and somehow, she felt that she could  
visualise it. As if she had that dream before.  
"And she reminds me of someone... It's like I've seen it all before,  
but I can't remember," Mamoru frowned.  
Mamoru closed his eyes.  
"Every time I think about it, my head starts to hurt," he whispered.  
"I'm sorry I made you tell me," Usagi murmured and pulled his blankets  
up to his chin.  
He could smell the rose again, but his head hurt too much to worry about it.  
Usagi placed a cool towel on his eyes. He felt better.  
"Are they like nightmares?" Usagi asked him.  
"No... Well.. I hate them, but they're not nightmares.." he yawned, feeling  
tired again. "They're just confusing and make me feel funny.."  
Usagi squeezed his hand.  
"Do you want to go to sleep now?" she whispered.  
"Maybe... I don't want to see those dreams though.."  
"I'll sing you a lullaby."  
And she hummed softly, the same tune she had sang to him before. Usagi watched  
Mamoru sleeping.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
END OF PART FOUR  
------------------------------------------------------------ 


	6. A Stroll Through Your Dream - part five ...

Disclaimer : I don't own Sailor Moon etc. etc.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A Stroll Through Your Dream  
  
By Artemis  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
PART FIVE  
  
Grace sat in the board room, waiting with the Head of Operations.  
She crossed her legs and uncrossed her legs impatiently.  
"Where is Haybert?" she muttered angrily.  
Michael ran into the room, out of breath and stumbled into a seat.  
"I'm sorry I'm late sir!" he gasped, catching his breath.  
"Late? This isn't what I call late, Haybert!" the Head of Operations  
growled angrily.  
Haybert looked fearfully at a tall man dressed smartly in a military  
suit. His badges gleamed. Grace looked at Michael, her eyes always  
as cold as ever.  
"Thompson, you deal with this man. I don't really want to stand  
here and listen to this pathetic excuse of a human being," he frowned.  
"I have better things to do."  
And with that, the Head of Operations strode out of the room and  
slammed the door shut.  
Grace and Michael both jumped as the door was slammed. Michael looked  
at Grace and grinned. A sudden realisation occured to her.  
"Oh my God Haybert," Grace sighed, massaging her temples. "Don't tell  
me you planned that?"  
"Well I didn't want that grumpy guy to sentence me to death," he shrugged.  
Michael sat down casually on a chair and folded his arms.  
"Here, write down your formal apology here," Grace frowned and gave  
him a piece of paper.  
She sat down opposite him in a soft leather chair. As Michael wrote,  
his eyes cast down on the paper, Grace watched him.  
"You know Grace," Michael spoke up. "Don't you get bored working  
for that grumpy guy?"  
"No, Haybert," she replied, emphasizing his name.  
"You never call me Michael," he frowned and looked up from his writing.  
He twirled the pen in his hand.  
"Does it make a difference?" Grace asked, busying herself with sorting  
through forms. "Get back to writing."  
"Do you ever go out to places?" he asked. "I mean, really... like to  
nightclubs and things?"  
"That is none of your business."  
She stood up and walked over to him. Michael watched as she placed  
another sheet of paper on the table. That was when he noticed a thin  
golden ring on her hand.  
"You're married!?" he shouted, not hiding his surprise.  
Grace rolled her eyes and didn't reply. She walked back to her chair.  
She wondered why he always had to be so dramatic.  
"I didn't know you were married," Michael smiled. "Does he work here?"  
"Just shut up and keep writing," Grace snapped.  
"Geez, I was just asking..."  
"I thought you were more interested in a certain blonde girl."  
"Well I was, but I haven't had a chance to talk to her."  
"Talk to her," Grace told him simply. "If you tell her how you feel,  
she'll feel much better."  
Then she left the chair, with a folder of sheets. She headed towards  
the door, then glanced over to Michael.  
"And don't forget to give me back my pen."  
Michael looked at the pen, then at her. And before he could say another  
word, she left.  
  
Usagi sat with Ami, drinking apple juice.  
"So? What did you come to talk to me about?" Ami asked, looking up from  
filling in forms. "I'm kind of busy trying to get these astronauts out  
of here."  
Usagi sighed deeply and put her glass down on the table.  
"Do you think I did the right thing to tell Michael, well, you know?"  
Ami took off her glasses and shook her hair. She looked at her troubled  
friend.  
"Look, you can go talk to him this afternoon... And you won't have Grace  
at your back either. Those astronauts will be gone and so will he."  
"I can always go see him at NASA...."  
"And how do you intend to do that Usagi? You're only a junior nurse.  
They're not going to let you in."  
"Why do you have to be so mean Ami? First you're telling me not to get  
involved and now you're telling me to jump at him!"  
"Well, I'm only trying to help," she shrugged. "Now scam! I have work  
to do!"  
Usagi frowned, but then apologised for bothering her. After all, she  
was doing work. She knew Ami well enough that she wasn't usually this  
irritable around friends.  
"Hey Ami, do you think Mamoru's okay to go? I mean... He's still having  
those dreams that make him so upset...."  
"Well, there's no choice. He's leaving this afternoon and that's Grace's  
final decision. She says she can't wait that long any more. They need to  
get back to base. Besides, most of them need to start training again."  
Usagi nodded and sighed. She didn't want to let Mamoru go. He seemed  
to be in so much pain every time he went to sleep and dreamt. She wished  
she could do something.  
  
Mamoru was sitting up in his bed when Usagi came back.  
"Hi, feeling better?" she smiled.  
He nodded. Usagi sat down and sighed.  
"What's the matter?" he asked, wondering what or who could trouble her.  
"Oh it's nothing," she shook her head. "Are those dreams still coming  
back?"  
Mamoru nodded. There was an awkward silence.  
"When am I supposed to leave here?" he asked her, after a pause.  
"Um, around noon I think... Or maybe around ten? So you get back to  
base in time for lunch," she told him. "It's a two hour trip."  
"Great.." Mamoru murmured sadly.  
He suddenly took Usagi's hand and squeezed it gently. She looked up,  
surprised and puzzled.  
"You've been great," he smiled. "Thanks. I just hope the nurses at base  
are as nice as you."  
Usagi blushed. "Th..Thanks."  
Mamoru laughed softly, amused by the sight of Usagi blushing. He looked  
into her eyes and thought he had seen those eyes somewhere before. Where?  
He suddenly had an urge to hug her and hold her. The way he felt even  
surprised himself. Usagi slipped her hand out of his and turned away  
from his gaze. Mamoru felt his heart beating faster than usual.  
"Nurse Tsukino?" a voice called her.  
Ami walked over to the bed.  
"There's a visitor to see you," she smiled. "I'll look after Mr Chiba  
for the time being."  
"Who is it?" Usagi whispered to Ami as she walked past the bed.  
"It's your darling Michael," Ami giggled.  
Mamoru picked up Michael's name and wondered why he hadn't come in.  
After his eyes followed Usagi out of the door, he turned to Ami.  
"I heard Michael's name," he told her, but Ami knew it was a question.  
"He's just come to talk to her," she told him simply and her tone  
suggested to him that she wasn't going to tell him any more.  
  
Usagi stood nervously next to Michael.  
"Sorry to disturb you like this," he smiled. "But I just wanted to tell  
you that I completely understand if you don't want to go out to coffee  
with me, but let's not avoid each other like this, okay?"  
Usagi sighed in relief. So he hadn't come to tell her that he didn't  
want to see her any more.  
"Sure," Usagi smiled happily. "I was thinking the same thing. I was going  
to talk to you after Mamoru and the others were sent back. Although,  
I didn't really know how to sneak into NASA."  
Michael laughed. Usagi giggled. He took her hand and locked his fingers  
into hers.  
"You know, the most ironic part of this is that Grace told me to go  
talk to you," he told her. "Strange huh? Grace of all people!"  
"Well, maybe Grace has been in love too," Usagi suggested.  
Michael stared at her and Usagi frowned.  
"What?" she asked him, puzzled.  
"Are you suggesting that I'm in love with you?"  
Usagi realised why he was looking at her strangely. She blushed, red as  
a beetroot. Michael laughed.  
"I didn't mean that!" she shouted, her voice echoing down the corridor.  
"Shhhh," Michael whispered, leaning closer to her. "Usagi, this is  
a hospital."  
"Michael? What are you doing?" she whispered, feeling his hand on her neck.  
"Well, you weren't far off about the love thing," he grinned.  
Just as he kissed her startled lips, somebody coughed nearby. Michael let  
go of her and turned around immediately.  
"Can you keep your flirting to OUTSIDE of the hospital?" came the cold,  
harsh tone from Grace's dark red lips.  
"Hey there," Michael smiled weakly. "What are you doing here Grace?"  
"In case you didn't realise, I work here," she frowned. "I didn't give  
you advice so I can catch you playing around."  
Usagi frowned. She didn't like the sound of that. And obviously, Michael  
didn't either.  
"What is it with you Grace!?" he shouted, catching doctors' and other nurses'  
attention. "Can't you keep constant with your niceness?"  
"If I did, maybe you might think I actually like seeing you everyday," Grace  
told him, her composure unchanging.  
Then, she glanced at Usagi.  
"Aren't you lucky you've only got a few more hours to work?" she smiled slyly.  
Usagi clutched onto Michael's arm. They both watched Grace walk away, humming  
cheerfully as if nothing had happened.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
END OF PART FIVE  
------------------------------------------------------------ 


	7. A Stroll Through Your Dream - part six -

Disclaimer : I don't own Sailor Moon etc. etc.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A Stroll Through Your Dream  
  
By Artemis  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
PART SIX  
  
Usagi sat in bed, wondering if Mamoru had arrived safely. She also  
felt a little guilty for not saying a proper good bye. There was  
too many things to think about. Mamoru, Grace, Michael and going back  
to work. Usagi couldn't go to sleep. Her mind was too cluttered.  
She rolled over and hugged her pillow. Her alarm clock told her that  
it was late and she should get some sleep.  
  
Mamoru lay in bed, feeling cold and bored. The room let in a small draft.  
He sneezed. The room was separate from the rest of the crew, who were  
already starting training the next day. Mamoru on the other hand, was  
still restricted to the bed. His legs had probably forgotten how to walk  
by now. His hand felt empty. There was no friendly nurse here to hold his  
hand while he slept. He felt incredibly childish, but he wanted somebody  
to hold his hand. He wanted somebody to be there after he woke up from  
another dream.  
  
As the clock reached twelve, both of them drifted off to sleep.  
Usagi snuggled into her sheets, thinking about all the things she couldn't  
get rid of from her mind. Mamoru closed his eyes reluctantly and longed  
for Usagi to be by his side. The minute hand ticked past the number twelve.  
  
Mamoru returned to his familiar dream scape.  
"Remember me yet?" he recognised a voice.  
He saw the princess, sitting down at his feet. She hummed a familiar tune.  
"How can I remember you if I don't know who you are?" he frowned.  
"You'll remember. I know," she smiled confidently. "I am the little girl  
who lives in your heart and the one you have locked away in your mind."  
"Okay, I've figured out that the little blonde girl is someone I'm supposed  
to know... And she's from my memory, but you.. I can't know you.."  
Mamoru sighed from exhaustion.  
"You don't know me yet," the princess told him, standing up. "That's why  
you don't remember."  
"Stop talking in riddles," he frowned. "Even the girl speaks better than  
you do!"  
"Take my hand," she instructed him, holding out her pale white hands.  
He took them, because he didn't know what else to do.  
"We'll go for a pleasant evening stroll shall we?" she smiled sweetly.  
Mamoru just agreed silently.  
"An evening stroll to where?" he asked as they started walking.  
"You'll see."  
They kept walking across the murky darkness. Mamoru held onto her hand  
and her hand also felt smooth and soft like rose petals. They felt like  
the same hands as.... as who? His head hurt again. She squeezed his hand.  
"Does your head hurt?" she asked, stopping.  
"It hurts whenever I'm about to remember something...." he murmured.  
The princess looked at him and he suddenly felt his body change.  
He looked up at the princess, who looked down on him.  
"What happened?" he asked, his other hand holding his head.  
"We've entered her dream," she smiled.  
"Who's 'her'?" he asked, his voice echoing.  
The princess didn't reply, so Mamoru didn't bother asking any more.  
They kept walking and Mamoru saw his arms were bandaged and his feet  
were so much smaller.  
  
Usagi woke up in her dream. She heard footsteps coming towards her.  
Tiny, light footsteps. She turned and saw a young boy with dark blue  
eyes and glossy black hair. For a second, she thought it was Mamoru,  
then decided it wasn't, then became confused. Holding his hand was  
a young woman in a silver dress.  
"Who are you?" she asked them.  
"You tell me," the young woman smiled.  
Usagi held her head and looked at them, puzzled.  
"Don't you remember him?" the young woman asked, pushing the boy  
in front of her.  
Usagi shook her head. "I don't know who he is.."  
"Of course you do," the young woman sighed, slightly upset.  
She held her hand in the air and a rose appeared in her hands.  
The young woman smiled and held the rose in front of Usagi's eyes.  
"Remember?" she whispered. "A rose, a young injured boy..."  
Suddenly, they all heard a little girl's voice, humming.  
They saw a little blonde haired girl skipping their way.  
She stopped when she saw Usagi. She smiled. Usagi smiled back.  
"And a little blonde haired girl," the young woman finished.  
"Who are you, little girl?" Usagi asked.  
"I am the little girl who lives in his heart and the one he has locked  
away in his mind," she replied.  
Usagi looked at the young boy. He looked at her, just as puzzled as she was.  
"And he is the little boy who lives in your heart and the one you  
have locked away in your mind," the young woman smiled serenely.  
"Then who are you?" Usagi asked the her.  
She didn't reply, but gave the little girl the rose and then disappeared.  
The young boy walked over to the little girl and patted her on the head.  
"Are you feeling better?" the girl asked him.  
"A little," he shrugged.  
Usagi watched the two and she knew she had seen them somewhere before.  
The little girl seemed so familiar and so did the little boy.  
"What's your name little boy?" Usagi called out.  
He looked up and squinted.  
"I can't remember..." he murmured.  
All of a sudden, Usagi heard a voice. It echoed in the dream and the  
young boy looked around, he too was affected by the voice.  
"In the first dream I had... There's this little girl," the voice echoed.  
"She's got blonde hair and bouncing pigtails. She asks me something  
and I tell her I'm hurt. I can't remember what happens next.. That's right.  
Something about her mother.. And a brother... Then she aks me if I can  
have a rose. Then she smiles and leaves."  
Usagi recognised the voice. And she looked at the boy and the little girl  
and remembered something she had forgotten a long time ago.  
"A rose, a young injured boy... and me," she whispered and suddenly felt  
dizzy.  
Usagi closed her eyes and felt her body feel lighter.  
  
Mamoru jolted awake. His heart was racing and his clothes clung to his body,  
sticky with sweat. He stared to the grey ceiling. There was no hand to comfort  
him. He sat up and glanced over to the red button by the bed. Should he press  
it? He felt so confused by the dream, that he pressed the button, thinking that  
maybe Usagi would come to him. He lay back in bed and waited. The dream was  
already fading away from his memory. Did he see Usagi there? In his dream?  
And what was it she whispered before he woke up? He gritted his teeth and  
clenched his hand into a fist. He pounded the bed with frustration. He hated  
this feeling. This feeling of confusion. And the feeling that he knew that  
there was something that he had to remember, but he didn't know what. There was  
a knock on the door.  
"Mr Chiba? You called?" a male doctor walked into the room.  
"You're not my nurse," Mamoru murmured.  
"No, Mr Chiba. You're back at base now, remember?"  
"Why isn't she here? She's always here..."  
The male doctor frowned, puzzled with Mamoru's behaviour.  
"What's the matter Mr Chiba? Why did you press the button?" he asked, starting  
to get a little impatient.  
After all, it was two in the morning.  
"Make these dreams go away... Please..." Mamoru begged. "Please..."  
"They're only dreams Mr Chiba. They aren't real," the doctor told him.  
"They are real.. They're real..."  
Mamoru didn't want to talk to someone who didn't want to listen.  
"Get some sleep Mr Chiba," the doctor sighed. "Good night."  
The doctor closed the door and left him in silent darkness.  
"Help me Usagi... Please.." Mamoru whispered, hoping that somehow, he would  
hear her.  
And he could feel tears falling from his eyes. He didn't want to see these  
dreams any more. He only wanted to see her. He bit his lip and wiped his  
tears away. He was a mess. Mamoru closed his eyes and sobbed quietly.  
  
Usagi sat up in her bed, her pyjamas sticking to her from her sweat.  
She shook her head and already, the dream was slipping from her mind.  
No, it wasn't a dream, it was a memory she had forgotten about for years.  
"So I have met Mamoru somewhere before.." she murmured, thinking about  
what she had read about his past.  
The day Usagi had seen him, must have been the day he had an accident when  
his parents died. She felt her heart beating fast. How could she have  
forgotten him? Those deep, bottomless ocean eyes. They were always so lonely  
and longing for somebody to hold him. Hold him tight and tell him, that  
there was nothing to fear. Usagi decided to have a shower to clear her mind.  
She didn't want to think too much about Mamoru. He wasn't her patient any  
more and she wasn't his nurse. They would take good care of him at NASA.  
Wasn't he their most treasured astronaut? But when the cold water hit Usagi,  
she thought she heard him call her name. She closed her eyes and shook her head.  
She stood underneath the water and drowned all her thoughts. The only thing she  
could hear was the thundering water, nipping at her skin.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
END OF PART SIX  
------------------------------------------------------------ 


	8. A Stroll Through Your Dream - part seven...

Disclaimer : I don't own Sailor Moon etc. etc.  
  
A.N Thanks for all the reviews ^_^ I really appreciate them!  
And panatlantic, your reviews are appreciated too ^_^ So keep  
writin' 'em and I'll keep writin'! =D *hugs* Arty =^.^=  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A Stroll Through Your Dream  
  
By Artemis  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
PART SEVEN  
  
Usagi walked nervously down the corridor. Grace walked in front  
of her and Michael walked beside her, holding her hand.  
"He's been asking for you ever since he got here," Grace spoke  
sharply. "I know this is very inconvenient for you, but we thought  
this was the only way to make him better. His condition has been  
deteriorating every day... He should have started training by now."  
"What... exactly is wrong with him?" Usagi asked quietly.  
"I don't know. We think he's just traumatised from the whole incident.  
I think he just needs somebody to be there with him."  
"I visit him all the time.." Michael frowned.  
"Yeah well, not you," Grace replied, glancing at him. "Someone who's  
been trained to be with a patient."  
"You didn't approve of her in the beginning," Michael grumbled.  
"Well she's proved to be very efficient."  
"You've always got double standards.."  
"Look, I didn't invite her so I could argue with you! Besides, who  
asked you to come with us?" Grace snapped.  
"Oh... I.. I kind of asked him to come," Usagi murmured.  
Grace sighed and her feet hurried away. Usagi looked at Michael, but  
he just shrugged.  
"Maybe you should try and be nice to her," she suggested.  
"She's the one who's never nice to me..."  
"Well just try. I'm sure she can be nice."  
"I'll try.."  
Grace stopped at a door and opened it quietly. Usagi walked over to  
the door, still holding Michael's hand. The three of them walked  
into the dimly lit room. Mamoru was asleep.  
"We had to drug him to shut him up," Grace told Usagi. "They should start  
wearing off now.."  
Usagi looked at Mamoru, his pale face sleeping peacefully. She couldn't  
help but remember the dream. Her heart beat faster just thinking about  
it.  
"Do you want to stay with him?" Grace asked her, after a quick glance at  
Michael.  
Usagi wasn't sure if she wanted to stay. She would feel so awkward with  
him if he woke up and surely Michael wouldn't be very happy about it.  
But she wanted to talk to him about when they had first met. She wanted  
to know what exactly he dreamt of and why they were so painful to him.  
"I think it's best if you stay anyway," Grace made the decision for her.  
Usagi looked up from Mamoru and nodded.  
"Come on Haybert, let's go," Grace murmured to Michael, heading to the  
door.  
"Wait," he told Grace.  
She agreed silently and walked outside. Michael took Usagi's hand, then  
pulled her close to him.  
"Michael?" Usagi whispered, a little puzzled.  
"I love you Usagi," he whispered, then let her go.  
"I love you too," she smiled as he slipped his hand out of hers.  
She was a little puzzled with his behaviour, but it was sweet anyway.  
Michael left the room and the door was closed shut. Usagi turned back  
to Mamoru and saw him stirring awake.  
  
Was he just imagining it or did he hear Usagi tell Michael that she loved  
him? Mamoru felt groggy from the drugs and opened his eyes. He saw Usagi  
sitting beside the bed and looking at him with worried eyes. What was  
she doing here? He couldn't remember anything.  
"How are you feeling?" she asked, smiling.  
He smiled back and managed to sit up.  
"I'm feeling okay," he told her, his voice almost a whisper.  
His lips were dry and cracked. Usagi got up and poured him a glass of water.  
She held the glass to his lips as he drank gratefully.  
"Thanks."  
"That's okay."  
Usagi put the glass back on the side table.  
"What are you doing here?" he asked, confused.  
"Apparently you were asking for me," she told him.  
"I was?" he frowned.  
Usagi nodded.  
"I can't remember much," he groaned.  
"It's okay, don't try," Usagi whispered.  
She looked at him and remembered the dream. And she remembered how he looked  
the same as the little boy in the hospital who couldn't remember anything.  
She pushed those thoughts away. She had tried to forget about the dream  
before, but she couldn't forget it. It wasn't really a dream because it  
happened. It was real.  
  
Michael followed Grace, his mind still thinking about Usagi and Mamoru.  
"Being a little dramatic aren't you?" Grace asked him, stopping in front  
of an elevator.  
Michael looked at her, puzzled, as he snapped out of his thoughts.  
"She's not going away to Mars," she laughed lightly.  
He still didn't understand what Grace was trying to hint. He figured it  
was best to not say much in his efforts to "try and be nice".  
"Haybert, I know you're not that stupid... but... Do you actually like  
her?"  
"Why do you want to know?" he retorted, then realised his niceness didn't  
last very long.  
"Well I mean, did you really need to tell her you loved her if she's only  
going to be staying with Mamoru?"  
"I'm not worried about her, it's Mamoru I'm worried about..."  
The elevator arrived and the door opened. It was empty and waited patiently  
for Michael and Grace to enter. Grace didn't comment any further as she  
walked into the elevator and pressed the number 12. Michael leaned on the  
side wall and watched the numbers flicker as the elevator rose. They stood  
in silence until finally, Michael spoke up.  
"I mean he's been asking for her ever since... You'd think he was in love  
with her or something.."  
"Calm down Haybert," Grace reassured him. "Even if he was, what reason is  
there for Usagi to just let him do anything to her? There's a fine line  
between patient and... well.. someone who's not a patient."  
"You're not your encyclopedia convincing best tonight Grace," Michael grinned.  
"Maybe you're just afraid that she'll fall for Mamoru and you'll be left  
all alone.. again," she replied, her tone teasing Michael for what  
he feared the most.  
"I'm so glad you understand," he smiled sarcastically.  
The elevator stopped at floor 12, just in time to pause them from their  
pre-argument. Grace glanced at Michael.  
"You want some company while we wait for her?" she asked, her voice a little  
softer and friendly than usual.  
"What sort of company?" Michael asked cautiously. "All we ever do is argue."  
"Better than arguing with yourself," she grinned, then walked out. "If you  
change your mind, you can come to my office."  
Michael watched as Grace walked away to her office. He sighed, then turned  
around and walked to his room. He felt that somehow it wasn't that they hated  
each other, just annoyed each other and pushed the limits of hate. And Grace  
could be unpredictable, a little like himself.  
  
Usagi listened as Mamoru told her about when he was younger, dreaming of  
flying out into space. But a corner of her mind still held onto the dream  
and she wanted to ask, but was afraid. How would she bring it up? And what  
if he didn't remember?  
"And you know, I thought... this mission was it. Everything I'd done.. And  
this was my reward..." he smiled, then his voice faded and so did his smile.  
He looked away from her.  
"Mamoru... Um.. In your dreams.. The little blonde haired girl," Usagi murmured,  
making him turn back to face her.  
His eyes looked a little moist, but his expression changed. He looked at her  
curiously.  
"Did she ever seem familiar?" she asked, her heart beating so fast and so loud  
she could hardly hear herself think.  
"Familiar?" he asked, his eyed frowning as he tried to remember. "Well... I know  
her from somewhere... I think.."  
Usagi gulped.  
"Why?" Mamoru asked, his gaze fixed onto her.  
"Because a few nights ago.. Well, the night that you came back here.. I had this  
dream.." she started, then saw Mamoru's eyes widen.  
"A dream?" he asked.  
"Yes, a dream," she nodded. "And... well.. that little blonde haired girl who's  
been in your dreams... That's.. um.. me.."  
As the last word left Usagi's lips, she felt her whole body trembling. Mamoru didn't  
respond as the words sunk in. He just stared at her. Usagi shifted uncomfortably in  
her seat.  
"You mean we have met before?" Mamoru whispered, his lips hardly moving from shock  
and confusion.  
Usagi simply nodded. "We met before.. In a hospital... It must have been after the.."  
The word 'accident' didn't come out, because Usagi didn't want to remind him of that.  
Mamoru knew he had met her somewhere. She seemed so familiar. The same soft smile,  
the same comforting eyes and the same feelings he felt when she spoke to him.  
But he was a little puzzled. Why had the princess urged him so much to try and remember?  
And who was she?  
"Your dreams, Mamoru," Usagi interrupted his thoughts. "What are the rest of the  
dreams like?"  
Mamoru felt his heart beating a little faster than usual. Usagi still felt somewhat  
familiar to him.... She reminded him of someone else... The princess? He frowned.  
Usagi watched him. He was deep in thought and seemed to have forgotten her question.  
She took his hand and smiled. Mamoru looked at her, his eyes reminding her of that  
little boy who seemed so lost and alone.  
"I'd like to know what your dreams are about," she whispered softly. "And what they  
mean to you.."  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
END OF PART SEVEN  
------------------------------------------------------------ 


	9. A Stroll Through Your Dream - part eight...

Disclaimer : I don't own Sailor Moon etc. etc.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A Stroll Through Your Dream  
  
By Artemis  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
PART EIGHT  
  
Michael knocked on the door twice. He waited for a response but  
heard nothing. He frowned, then opened the door quietly. He heard  
silence in the room. Was she in here?  
"Grace?" he spoke her name cautiously.  
He walked in, closing the door quietly behind him. His eyes looked  
ahead of him and saw Grace fast asleep at her desk. He smiled to  
himself. Her head rested on her arms and he could hear her light  
breathing.  
"If I need company, huh," he murmured as he walked closer to the desk.  
As he walked closer, he saw that in one hand, she held a piece of  
paper. And nearby was a torn envelope. Michael wasn't sure if he  
should wake her up or just leave.... or stay and watch her sleeping?  
He noticed how unusually feminine she looked. Her hair was out and they  
were like milky chocolate waves down her back. He saw a bottle of red wine  
on the table with an unfinished glass. He wondered where she kept  
stuff like wine in her office. He had never seen any before when he  
was here. Not that it was ever 'wine occasion' whenever he was in her  
office. Michael wondered if Grace was going to wake up or he was just  
going to stand there like an idiot. He wanted to turn and leave and  
go see Usagi, but for some reason he didn't really mind standing there.  
Maybe he was attached to the spot of carpet.  
"Don't be an idiot Michael," he muttered to himself. "Just turn and  
walk away...."  
But he didn't have the urge to turn and walk away, so he stayed.  
And he kept looking at Grace's peaceful sleeping face. He always thought  
she'd look so much nicer if she wasn't yelling at him. So he tried to  
take in her nice image for as long as he could. His eyes slid over to  
the letter she was holding. Whoever wrote it didn't have very neat  
writing. He moved a step closer and tried to read it. He had a curious  
nature and the letter was like one of those itches that weren't supposed  
to be scratched, like a mosquito bite. He reached over and slipped the  
letter out of her hand. He felt slightly guilty and wondered what he  
was doing, but who would write to Grace? He wanted to know that.  
He kept glancing over to Grace as he read the letter. He figured the  
letter was from her husband, whoever he was. It wasn't that interesting  
to him, so Michael decided to give it back. He flipped the page over  
just to look at the name. His eyes spotted the word 'kids'. Grace had  
kids!? Then his eyes scanned down the page and saw a scrawled name.  
His name. So Grace's husband had the same name as him. Maybe that was  
why she never called him by his first name. He carefully placed the  
letter back in her hand, then took a few steps backwards. As he got to  
the door, he carefully opened it, as quietly as possible. It creaked.  
Really loud. Michael swore at the door. He looked back at Grace to  
see if she had woken up. He met with her sleepy eyes, surprised.  
"Haybert?" she murmured, rubbing her eyes and unable to stop a yawn.  
"Uh, did I wake you up?" Michael asked an obvious question.  
Grace sat up properly and ran her hands through her hair.  
"No, it's okay, I shouldn't have fallen asleep anyway," she yawned again.  
Michael stood at the door, unsure whether it was an invitation to come  
in or he was supposed to leave. Grace looked at him then laughed.  
"You can come in you know!" she laughed.  
Michael wasn't sure if she was sounding so nice because she had just woken  
up and wasn't properly awake, or it was the wine she had drank. Either way,  
he wasn't used to it. He walked in the room, closing the door.  
"So you want company after all?" Grace asked him, looking a little more awake  
and her voice a little more like her normal self.  
Michael watched her pack away the letter into a drawer.  
"Want a drink?" she asked, nodding to the bottle of wine.  
"No thanks," he shook his head.  
Grace took a sip from her unfinished glass, then smiled, amused once more.  
"What?" Michael asked.  
"Are you going to stand there like an idiot or are you going to sit down?"  
"I'm attached to this spot of carpet," he shrugged.  
"We'll talk on the couch then," Grace decided, then got up from her chair.  
Michael looked around and spotted a couch. It was leather, and shone happily.  
"The kind of furniture you get to have is unbelivable... my comfy chair seems  
like a deckchair compared to that couch," Michael murmured.  
Grace sat down, sinking into the couch with her glass of wine. Michael sat  
down, unsure whether he sat too close to her.  
"Well you don't work for that grouch," she smiled, slipping her hair behind  
her ears.  
"Is it the wine or do you always talk like this when it's late?" Michael asked,  
raising an eyebrow.  
"It's because I'm not working with you that I'm talking like this," she shrugged.  
"Maybe I shouldn't work with you more often," he grinned. "Then we can have normal  
conversations."  
Grace took another sip from her glass. She swirled the wine around and didn't say  
a word. There was a silence that lasted, to Michael, a long time. He looked around  
the room and saw a filing cabinet, a large shelf full of books and a painting hung  
on the wall.  
"So if we're not working.." Michael spoke up finally, making Grace turn and look  
at him. "Would you still call me Haybert?"  
Grace's eyes flickered away from him. Then she finished the rest of the glass, gulping  
it down.  
"Maybe.. I wouldn't call you Haybert," she told him honestly, then got up and walked  
over to the desk, pouring another glass for herself.  
Michael didn't respond, but just thought about it.  
"Are you sure you don't want any?" she asked him, her voice telling him that she  
wanted to change the subject as quickly as possible.  
"Yeah, maybe I will have some," he nodded, feeling bad and wanting to change the  
subject for her. "Where do you keep that stuff anyway? And the glasses.."  
He got up, walking over to the desk. Grace walked around to her desk and opened  
a drawer.  
"I just keep it here," she told him and got out a spare glass. "It might be a little  
dusty."  
She wiped it clean, then put the glass on the desk. Grace glanced at Michael.  
"Tell me when."  
She poured the wine into the glass and Michael watched. He wasn't really in the mood  
to drink, especially not wine. The rich red liquid swirled in the glass. Grace kept  
glancing from the glass to him. Michael saw the wine swirl over the imaginary line  
he had drawn on the side. He was about to tell Grace to stop, but she stopped without  
him saying a word. He took the glass, then looked at her, raising an eyebrow.  
"I'm psychic," Grace replied, joking. "No, I'm just good at reading people's reactions  
and expressions."  
Michael nodded, then took a sip of the wine.  
"Nice stuff," he smiled, swallowing down the wine.  
They sat back down on the couch and this time Michael didn't worry about whether he  
sat too close.  
  
Mamoru waited for Usagi to respond. He had just told her everything in his dreams.  
And how he had felt... He had found it hard to remember before, but now it was less  
painful.  
"Mamoru...." Usagi whispered, unable to say anything else.  
She was speechless after hearing his dreams of the little blonde haired girl, her,  
trying to help him remember. Why? She wondered why he suddenly had these dreams.  
He had told her that he had forgotten that they had ever met. The same as her. And  
why did hers and his dream merge that night? It was all too much for Usagi. Her heart  
was beating fast.  
"Usagi.. I knew you weren't just any nurse when I met you at the hospital," Mamoru  
smiled, his eyes looking into Usagi's. "Now I realise that you made me feel less  
alone... Just like the first time we met..."  
Usagi couldn't take her eyes away. She felt something deep inside of her, some deep  
emotion hidden away, taking over her.  
"I know I'm only a patient to you, but no one else has ever cared about me the way  
you have. And I don't think I could live without seeing you again," he told her.  
Usagi sat there, frozen like a stone. She didn't know if she wanted to hear any more.  
Mamoru took her hand. She snapped out of her daze and looked down. Her hand was trembling.  
"Are you okay Usagi?" he whispered, his other hand reaching over to touch her cheek.  
Usagi felt the unknown emotion swelling inside of her as she felt his hand on her cheek.  
Mamoru leaned closer, then pulled her closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her,  
stroking her soft hair.  
"Usagi?" he whispered again.  
Her small body trembled in his arms. She closed her eyes and lay her head on his shoulder.  
Mamoru could smell roses again. He looked at Usagi, her eyes closed tightly.  
"Mamoru..." she whispered. "I... I.. I kept thinking about that dream... And.. And I  
couldn't stop worrying.. Whether you were okay here.... And all this time you were  
calling out for me and I didn't know... I'm sorry... I should have come and visited  
you... I should have... I.."  
"Shhhhh," Mamoru murmured quietly, putting his finger on her lips. "It's okay.  
You're here now."  
"But those dreams.. They hurt you so much.... And I can't forgive myself for  
forgetting about you. I promised myself then that I wouldn't forget you.."  
Mamoru thought about what the princess had told him. He hadn't told Usagi  
anything about the princess. Would he save a fading rose if he could?  
Usagi sobbed in his arms. He wiped her tears away from her cheek.  
"I must have meant something to you... And I was only a little girl, but I meant  
something to you if deep down you remembered me.. I'm sorry.."  
"You still do mean something to me."  
Usagi opened her eyes and looked at him. She couldn't stop trembling.  
"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice so hushed that she wasn't sure if she had  
even said it aloud.  
Mamoru kissed her lips softly. Usagi could feel her cheeks blushing and her whole  
body feeling like it was burning. She felt him kissing her deeper and she felt  
powerless. It felt different to when Michael kissed her..... Michael.. What was  
she doing? And she remembered his words before he had left. He loved her and she  
had told him, she loved him too. She did... She loved him. Not Mamoru. But the  
kiss made her feel different... Different in a good way and she didn't want to  
break away. Usagi knew she had to break away from the kiss. It was wrong, wasn't it?  
But she didn't have the strength to push him away. Her whole body felt weak.  
She didn't even know how long the kiss was lasting, but it felt like eternity.  
Mamoru obviously meant everything he had said and she could feel it in his kiss.  
Her thoughts wavered as she felt Mamoru's lips move away. She couldn't look at him.  
"Usagi, I love you," he whispered, reminding her of Michael's words.  
What could she say? Hadn't she just let him kiss her? She could feel Mamoru's eyes  
on her. Usagi felt her body trembling again. She felt horrible.  
"I... I..." she stammered.  
Mamoru looked at her, his eyes only inches away from hers. Her eyes met his eyes,  
waiting for her to say something.  
"I.. I... I don't love you..." she whispered. "I'm sorry..."  
And tears spilled down her cheeks as she saw how much she had hurt him.  
"Do you love Michael?" he asked, his eyes flickering anger.  
She nodded, sobbing and afraid of him.  
"Then say it!" he whispered angrily. "Say you love him!"  
Usagi could see that Mamoru was holding back his tears and his anger. She felt  
his grip on her body tightening.  
"Mamoru.. you're hurting me..." she whimpered, although she knew it was nothing  
compared to what she had just done to him.  
"Say it Usagi. I'm not letting you go until I hear you say it."  
Usagi opened her mouth to say it, but all that came out were sobs. She tried to  
push away from him, but he was stronger than her.  
"I.. I... I love Michael," Usagi finally spoke between sobs.  
Then she felt Mamoru's hands let her go. Usagi slid off the bed. Mamoru avoided  
looking at her.  
"I'm sorry Mamoru..." she whispered, touching his arm to offer some kind of comfort.  
He snatched his arm away.  
"If you're so sorry, then why did you let me kiss you?" he asked bitterly, his voice  
tense and angry.  
But even Usagi didn't know the answer to that question.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
END OF PART EIGHT  
------------------------------------------------------------ 


	10. A Stroll Through Your Dream - part nine ...

Disclaimer : I don't own Sailor Moon etc. etc.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A Stroll Through Your Dream  
  
By Artemis  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
PART NINE  
  
Mamoru opened his eyes. He felt incredibly tired, his whole body  
aching with pain.... But somehow he felt awake. He didn't want  
to wake up, but he couldn't close his eyes and go back to sleep.  
It had been another night without a dream. Nothing. He didn't  
feel anything, he hadn't remembered anything, he hadn't seen the  
princess or.... the little blonde haired girl.  
"Usagi..." he murmured slowly.  
His hand moved slowly around the side of the bed, but he couldn't  
feel her there. Two weeks ago, she had always been there and stayed  
by his side. Mamoru strained and twisted his neck to see if maybe,  
just maybe, she was there. He saw an empty space where she would  
have been... could have been, if he hadn't told her. But how did he  
know she was in love with Michael? How did he know.... And he wished  
he hadn't said a word. Rejection he could maybe handle, but if Usagi  
had just not felt the same way, at least he could try and persuade  
her feelings somehow... Or at least maybe try and be friends on some  
level. But now he knew she loved someone else, how could he try and  
steal her away? He couldn't... She loved Michael and he was his friend.  
He couldn't try to get Usagi to see himself, just to make himself  
happy.. And surely Michael wouldn't forgive him for that. Had Usagi  
told him anything? He hoped not. Michael was not one to think logically  
when he was upset. If only he hadn't given in to his urge to hold her  
and to tell her... those words. If only... If only what? He didn't know  
any more. Mamoru suddenly felt a sweeping feeling overcoming his mind  
and body, making him close his eyes and drift off to sleep.  
  
Usagi watched the little boy settle down to sleep. She smiled and ruffled  
his hair lightly as he lay down. Ever since that day... with Mamoru,  
she had been taking care of this little boy who looked just like him.  
Every night and every day for two weeeks, she couldn't help but think  
about Mamoru. He was so alone in that room of his, no one to talk to and  
no one to be there for him. And he had seemed so bitter towards other  
staff there, as if it had been their fault he wasn't getting any better.  
Or, as Michael had told her, he was angry because they wouldn't let him  
leave the room. He was trapped in a prison that prevented him from doing  
anything... And would he ever fly to space again? She worried about him  
constantly and wanted to talk to Michael about it, but she wasn't sure  
what he would think. She didn't want to sound like all she ever thought  
about was Mamoru, but she always thought about him, more than Michael.  
She shook her head and tried to forget about that incident which kept  
haunting her. Why did she feel so bad, so guilty, so.... regretful?  
"Usagi?" a voice broke her thoughts.  
Her eyes flickered over to the owner of the voice, Michael. He looked  
worried.  
"Hi Michael," she smiled cheerfully.  
Michael glanced at the little boy, then to Usagi.  
"Am I disturbing you?" he whispered.  
"No, he's just fallen asleep. Let's talk out there," she whispered and  
walked past him and headed out the door.  
Michael seemed a little uneasy or nervous about something. Usagi wondered  
why.  
"Is something wrong?" she asked him, since he never really visited her  
during the day.  
"Usagi, what really is the reason why you didn't want to be Mamoru's  
nurse any more? I know it's been a while and I didn't want to ask you  
in case it upset you, but it's been bugging me ever since..." his voice  
sounding low and quiet.  
She was surprised by the question and didn't know what to say.  
"That little boy... he's the reason why you gave up looking after Mamoru?  
I don't understand, I mean... I know you'd rather work here than over  
there, but weren't you so worried about Mamoru? You talked about him  
all the time and how upset you were that he wasn't getting any better...  
And now you hardly ever mention his name."  
Usagi felt her heart suddenly pounding nervously. She fidgeted and  
squirmed uncomfortably. What could she say?  
"I just... I just didn't want to work there. And it's too much pressure  
on me with Grace there in the same vicinity and everything."  
She knew it didn't sound half convincing as the other lie and she knew  
Michael could tell she was lying. He frowned.  
"Did he... do anything or say anything to you?" Michael asked, trying  
to get her to look at him.  
Usagi bit her lip and shook her head. Why did she feel this need to lie?  
Because she was sure it would hurt Michael? Was she afraid to hurt so  
many people who cared about her?  
"Come on Usagi, I haven't been pretending to be in love with you.. I can  
tell when you're not telling me the truth," he whispered and gently  
brushed her cheek with his hand.  
She flinched when she felt his hand on her face. And she moved away from  
him.  
"Michael I have to get back to work," she mumbled and tried to walk away.  
He grabbed her arm and pulled her back.  
"Tell me Usagi! Why won't you tell me the truth?" he frowned.  
"Because you won't want to hear it!" she cried, trying to get out of his  
strong grasp.  
Michael weakened for a few minutes and Usagi slipped out of his arms.  
"What do you mean.....?" he murmured in shock.  
Usagi could feel her heart twisting and her stomach churning. She felt  
like her small body couldn't take it any more. As she opened her mouth,  
she felt something else... Something was wrong. Her eyes darted frantically  
and Michael noticed.  
"What's the matter Usagi?"  
She shook her head to ignore it, but it was still there. She could feel it.  
Something was wrong, someone was in pain. Someone, somewhere.... And she  
thought of Mamoru. She had to see him.  
  
Mamoru sat, dazed and groggy. He was dreaming again. But he felt different  
somehow. He wasn't confused because he knew where he was and all the pieces  
had been fitted together, all except the princess. He had guessed she had  
something to do with the future. The little blonde girl had been the past,  
Usagi herself was the present. He sighed and looked around, lost and utterly  
alone in this vast empty black space.  
"Usagi..." he whispered softly, feeling tears fall down his cheeks.  
He hadn't meant to cry, but the tears just fell. And he cried silently for  
a while, huddling and quivering. He heard soft footsteps walking towards  
him and his head snapped up and saw the little blonde girl. She looked  
serious and not her usual cheerful self.  
"What's... wrong?" he asked, his voice broken with sobs.  
She didn't answer, but kept her head lowered in a sullen mood. Why?  
He reached out to touch her, but she dissapeared into thin air. His hand  
shook as he sat there, frozen. Where did she go? And why? He moved his  
hand about, but she had gone. Then he heard a more louder sound, the  
clicking of heels. He swivelled around and saw her, Usagi.  
"Usagi?" he whispered.  
She only looked at him coldly. There was no warm smile, no gentle voice.  
Then she turned abruptly, about to leave him. He scrambled up and reached  
out to grab her hand, but she dissappeared. He stood there in absolute  
shock and confusion. What was going on? He felt strange, as if... As if  
some part of him had left like when Usagi had told him she loved Michael.  
He felt his heart twisting into a knot. It just kept squeezing tighter  
and tighter. He was gasping for breath and he crumpled back down onto the  
ground. If this was a dream, he wanted it to be over. Why couldn't he just  
wake up?  
"I want to wake up!!!" he screamed at the darkness. "Get me out of here!!"  
But there was no reply and not even an echo of his voice. He stood up,  
his body feeling incredibly heavy as if there was a strange force of  
gravity pulling him down. The air felt thick. He looked around, wondering  
why he was having a dream like this again, after two weeks of dreamless  
nights. Then he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and  
saw the princess. She was a little sad.  
"It's not your fault," she smiled weakly. "But do you still love her?"  
"Of course!" he replied immediately.  
"Then I suppose, I will see you again..."  
Her eyes lit up a little and her hands flicked away his fringe.  
"In a dream?" he asked, puzzled.  
She didn't reply. She acted like she didn't hear his question. Her eyes  
looked deep into his, but he didn't feel uncomfortable. They stood there  
in silence.  
"Who are you?" he whispered.  
She smiled, then shook her head as if to say she couldn't tell him.  
"Wha..." he started, but was cut off.  
The princess placed her slender finger on his lips.  
"Think about her always and one day we will meet again," she murmured,  
then looked as if she was going to cry.  
Mamoru smiled. "I'll look forward to it."  
And he reached out to touch her face, but she dissappeared into thin air.  
He was alone once more. Alone in the darkness. The little blonde girl had  
left him. Usagi had left him. The princess.... left him too. He knew why,  
deep down he knew. But he just didn't want to admit it. They had left him  
because his heart knew that Usagi had no place in her heart for him. So  
there was no reason for them to stay any more. Even if he loved her, if  
she didn't love him then they wouldn't exist.  
"Please don't leave me here, alone..." Mamoru whispered. "Please.."  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
END OF PART NINE  
------------------------------------------------------------ 


	11. A Stroll Through Your Dream - part ten -

Disclaimer : I don't own Sailor Moon etc. etc.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A Stroll Through Your Dream  
  
By Artemis  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
PART TEN  
  
"Usagi what's wrong!?" Michael shouted as he managed to run  
after her down the hospital corridor.  
Usagi ran ahead, forgetting about Michael, the little boy,  
the fact that she was working. She could only think about  
Mamoru. She felt something was wrong and she didn't like it.  
"Usagi!!" Michael called out to her again.  
She ignored him and kept running, out of breath and gasping.  
As she ran down the stairs, she stumbled and fell down.  
Michael finally caught up to her.  
"Usagi what are you doing!?"  
He grabbed her and made her look at him.  
"Mamoru... there's something wrong.. I have to go and see him."  
"Mamoru!?" Michael frowned. "What do you mean?"  
"Instinct.... What you always talk about," she smiled.  
Michael let her go. Usagi stumbled, her ankle was sprained.  
"Are you okay?" Michael asked, helping her.  
"Michael you have to help me get there, and see him.. Make  
sure he's okay," she whispered desperately. "Please!"  
"Of course," he nodded. "Anything for you Usagi..."  
Usagi felt her heart wince in pain when she heard him say that.  
He still loved her, but she knew she didn't love him any more.  
Somebody else had come along and stolen away all her feelings  
and emotions. Somebody who she cared about much much more than  
Michael.  
"Thank you Michael..." she murmured.  
She didn't know what else to say. Michael just nodded and helped  
her walk down the stairs.  
"He's all by himself..." Usagi started to say, not sure whether  
she was making excuses or thinking aloud. "Alone. He has nobody  
to comfort him. Nobody... Nobody to love him."  
The words slipped out of her mouth so naturally that she didn't  
realise what she had said. She glanced at Michael, who didn't  
look at her.  
"Nobody to love him..." he repeated her words slowly. "But you.."  
Usagi was shocked to hear him say it, because even she had  
admitted her own feelings to herself. She started to cry, for  
so many reasons. For Michael, for Mamoru, for herself.  
"Michael..." she sobbed. "Michael.... Michael.. I..."  
He kissed her gently on her cheek.  
"Let's just think about getting to Mamoru first," he smiled.  
And Usagi wished he wouldn't be so kind to her because it made  
her feel ten times worse.  
  
Mamoru wasn't sure why he hadn't woken up yet. Usually he'd feel  
dizzy or tired and he would find himself awake, but no matter  
how many times he closed his eyes, when he opened them he found  
himself in the same place. In the darkness. He shuddered.  
"Where are you..." he whispered, talking to all three of them.  
The little blonde girl, the princess and Usagi. Not that they were  
really three people, they were the same person... Just in different  
forms. He lay back and closed his eyes, trying to wake up again.  
He didn't want to stay here in some subconscious part of his mind  
that made horrible dreams. What if he stayed here trapped forever?  
He shuddered at the thought. He opened his eyes and still he saw  
the murky darkness. Not that he really minded, come to think of it.  
There was really no use trying to wake up if the reality outside  
his mind was just as cruel as the dream. Even if he woke up, what  
was there in reality that he could look forward to? There was no  
more Usagi, no more stars and the beautiful moon, just the bland  
hospital ceiling he had come to know so well. So he figured, it  
was pointless to want to leave the dream and he sat, thinking  
about Usagi. He closed his eyes and imagined her sweet smile,  
the smell of roses that wafted around whenever she was nearby.  
Her soft, gentle hands stroking his hair and her warm eyes that  
were so comforting. Her voice that sounded like liquid silk,  
so pleasant to listen to. He sighed deeply and opened his eyes.  
He had never ever loved anyone so much in his whole entire life.  
No one had ever made him feel this way. He hadn't even been at  
all interested in girls before he joined NASA and even during it.  
Michael on the other hand always had girlfriends. And they were  
all quite attractive, Mamoru could admit. So maybe he had been  
jealous of Michael. But why? Mamoru hadn't wanted any girlfriends.  
He was fine being in love with the stars. He was fine, until...  
Until... Mamoru didn't want to think about the mission. It was  
behind him, the past. It was over, done, nothing he could do to  
change it.. And he didn't want to either. Because if he hadn't  
been half dead, he would never have met Usagi and he would be  
willing to repeat it again if he was allowed another chance.  
He sighed again, tired of thinking so much about things that  
hadn't worked out. He tried to calm himself down by trying to  
remember that blissful weightless feeling out in space. And how  
beautiful the moon looked. The glow like Usagi's soft hair....  
Why did one bad thing have to lead to another one? No, Usagi  
wasn't a bad thing.... Just.. Just painful to think about.  
But he still loved her. Pain was something he was used to and  
that was nothing. He could visualise the stars twinkling in his  
mind and he breathed slow and deep. Maybe when he opened his eyes  
he would wake up? He hoped so. He could almost hear the voice  
asking him if he was all right, then telling him to take as long  
as he wanted to. Mamoru smiled to himself. How happy they had  
all been, how totally unprepared of... that meteorite. And he  
closed his eyes tight as that loud crash flashed into his mind.  
And how the shuttle had jolted, like a tin can. Totally helpless.  
Mamoru suddenly felt incredibly sweaty and hot thinking about  
the crash. He shook his head to get the thought out of his head.  
He tried thinking about Usagi, seeing her smile, but that didn't  
last for long. Mamoru panicked, fearing how his mind could take  
over, re-enacting that moment.  
"Go away, go away," he muttered angrily.  
And his eyes shot open and to his horror, he found himself locked  
in that shuttle once more. He could hear the roaring of the shuttle,  
the blaring warning signals, the red lights flashing before his eyes.  
Mamoru didn't want to think about it and he closed his eyes again,  
gritting his teeth. But he could still feel it, his whole body feeling  
the pressure of the shuttle falling. And he knew that after hearing  
two more signals, the shuttle would slam into the ocean and he would  
fall unconscious.  
  
Grace heard a battering of feet down the corridor. She raised an eyebrow,  
puzzled, and poked her head out of the door. She saw doctors and nurses  
rushing past her. She stopped one of the nurses and asked her what was  
going on.  
"It's Mr Chiba," the nurse told her quietly. "He's fallen unconscious and  
that's about all I can tell you..."  
"Thanks," Grace nodded and let the nurse go.  
She stood by her door and frowned. What was wrong with Mamoru? She decided  
to see for herself and was about to walk over to the elevator when someone  
ran straight into her.  
"Grace!" she heard a familiar female voice.  
She looked up and saw Usagi.  
"What are you doing here!?" she shouted. "This a highly restricted...."  
Then her voice trailed away as she saw Michael. She frowned.  
"You can't bring unauthorised personnel here!" she yelled at him. "You're  
always so irrational! Why do you...."  
"Shut up Grace!" Michael shouted angrily. "There's something wrong with  
Mamoru, Usagi knows it! But they won't let us past the security. You're  
the only person who can let us get there. He's in a critical condition  
and... and well, Mamoru needs to know we're there. That she's here.  
For him..."  
Grace stood up, brushed her skirt and looked at Michael.  
"That's no concern of mine," she snapped, then turned and walked back.  
"Grace! Please!" Usagi shouted, begging.  
Michael helped her up and Usagi winced painfully, her ankle was swollen.  
Grace turned and looked at the two of them. She felt so annoyed with them.  
"Go away! Leave me alone!"  
And she slammed the door shut as she stormed away to her office. Michael  
and Usagi just watched, in disbelief.  
"But.. doesn't she care about.. Mamoru?" Usagi whimpered.  
"Well she doesn't care about much," Michael made a light comment.  
Usagi hobbled over and opened the door. She found Grace pacing irritably  
around the office.  
"Grace, please..." she whispered, her voice choked with tears now.  
"Why do you plead to me? You don't even know me!" Grace frowned. "How do  
you expect me to answer to your pleas?"  
"But I have to see Mamoru!" Usagi begged. "Grace! Don't you understand!?"  
"No, I don't understand you at all!"  
Usagi frowned, confused why Grace was so upset. She seemed to take it a  
little too personally.  
"Why..... why are you so upset?" Usagi asked quietly, as she heard Michael  
walk into the room.  
"I don't intend to help anybody who hurts him or anybody else I work with!"  
Grace was red from anger and she glared at Usagi, then turned away. Usagi  
and Michael both stared at Grace. There was a long silence.  
"Then help me instead," Michael spoke up. "Help me to see Mamoru..."  
He walked a little closer to Grace. She moved back. Then, after a pause,  
"Fine! But not because I want to help you, but because I wanted to go  
see Mamoru as well."  
Michael smiled gratefully. Then he helped Usagi to walk as quickly as  
possible. Grace sighed and walked out of the door.  
  
In Mamoru's room, it was havoc. Panic. Fear. Confusion.  
"Ms Thompson!" one of the doctors saw her. "What are you doing here? Who  
are these people? We're trying to save this man!"  
"I figured," Grace replied. "They're here to support him. I'm here to  
watch. Why are there so many people in here? It should just be you,  
another doctor and a nurse!"  
The doctor himself was confused. He looked disorganised, lost and unable  
to grasp what was happening.  
"What's wrong with him?" Michael demanded.  
"I can't tell you that!" the doctor frowned.  
Michael grabbed him and threw him against the wall.  
"Tell me," he repeated slowly. "What is wrong with Mamoru?"  
The doctor pushed Michael away.  
"We're trying to revive him... Right now we're giving him a heart massage."  
"A what!?" Usagi shouted, surprising the doctor and Michael.  
"And who are you?" the doctor asked, annoyed.  
"A nurse! Mamoru's nurse!" she told him boldly. "What's wrong? Why is he  
being revived!? Why's he unconscious!?"  
"His heart rate dropped suddenly during his sleep, we have no idea why."  
"His heart rate dropped!?" Michael shouted, leaning against the wall for  
support. "What do you mean? Does that mean....."  
"He's dead?" Usagi finished the sentence, her voice shaking.  
"Technically, no... He's not dead yet."  
"But he could be," Grace stated, her voice sharp. "So why is there so much  
panic here? What is the problem if you know what's wrong?"  
"Well.. his brain patterns are very disturbing, he's... affected by something  
he must have been dreaming of. It's as though he's trapped in a dream."  
"Like a coma?" Usagi asked nervously, hoping he wouldn't die.  
"No, something much more.. strange. He's not breathing either, as though  
he fell unconscoius in his dream.... And because we can't wake him up..."  
"He's trapped?" Michael and Usagi finished at the same time.  
Usagi felt her heart pounding against her chest. She could feel her breaths  
shortening, becoming quicker. Her ankle felt sore. But how could she save  
Mamoru this time? If he couldn't wake up in his dream, he wouldn't be able  
to wake up at all..... Did she know how to save him? Usagi pushed past the  
staff and managed to grab his hand. She squeezed it tight.  
"Mamoru!" she screamed out his name. "Mamoru!"  
"What are you doing!?" doctors yelled at her, ripping her away.  
Her fingers slipped away from his hand. Michael and Grace could only watch  
helplessly. A nurse held her back as Usagi struggled, trying to get back  
to Mamoru's side. The dead tone of the heart rate machine dulled the room.  
"Mamoru.." Usagi sobbed quietly. "Mamoru... I love you... Please don't  
leave me... Please..."  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
END OF PART TEN  
------------------------------------------------------------ 


	12. A Stroll Through Your Dream - part eleve...

Disclaimer : I don't own Sailor Moon etc. etc.  
  
A.N. Thanks to Minako chan for harassing me with  
chainsaws to get this story finished ^_^;;  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A Stroll Through Your Dream  
  
By Artemis  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
PART ELEVEN  
  
Mamoru lay still in the darkness. And emerging from the darkness  
came three figures. A little girl, a princess and a young woman.  
All three of them had blonde hair, as golden as the sun and all  
three had a worried expression on their faces.  
"Is he dead?" the little girl sobbed sadly, kneeling to his side.  
The princess shook her head, but still looked very anxious.  
"It's my fault," the young woman cried, her face looking dark.  
"It is no one's fault," the princess smiled reassuringly. "He will  
be fine."  
The three of them watched Mamoru. The colour from his face was  
draining into a pale white. The little girl stepped back into  
the darkness and disappeared. The young woman followed.  
"It is all up to you, my dearest," the princess whispered, a single  
tear falling from her eye. "But I truly wish to meet again..."  
And she kissed him gently on his lips, then stepped back into  
the darkness.  
  
In the bed, Mamoru lay still without a beat of his heart or a  
single breath. But strange as it was, he wasn't dead... His brain  
patterns still active as though he should be alive. And Usagi  
watched on, hoping that he would wake up. Michael watched her,  
concerned. He wasn't quite sure if he wanted to be there seeing  
her so torn apart. He was supposed to be worried about Mamoru,  
but seeing as he heard the doctors say he would be alive for  
another 24 hours, Michael relaxed a little. But when those hours  
were up, he didn't know what he would do.  
  
Grace stood outside the room, leaning against the wall. She sighed  
and kept looking at her watch. 24 hours until another wave of panic.  
The door opened and Michael walked out. He looked emotionless and  
dazed. His feet moved about, unstable and he slumped down onto the  
ground beside the door.  
"Not your day is it?" Grace asked.  
Michael didn't reply, but just looked at her.  
"How can you act so cool?" he scowled, then got up.  
"Because I don't let things get to me, unlike you," she replied.  
He gave up and paced away. Grace watched him silently. She kept  
fingering her wedding ring.  
"I'm going home," Michael told her after a pause. "And I don't  
care what you're going to say."  
"Have fun..."  
Michael ignored his urge to pursue Grace's invitation for an  
argument. He was angry already, tired, worried, hurt and he  
needed to go home and rest. He walked away, but then turned  
around and walked towards her. He wanted to say something, but  
nothing came out of his mouth. Grace just watched him calmly.  
"If you don't care, what are you doing here?" she asked.  
"I don't get it Grace," he let out a deep sigh. "What you said  
before to Usagi... What was that?"  
"What did I say before to Usagi?" she frowned.  
"That thing about her hurting me..."  
"Oh, that?" Grace shrugged carelessly. "Decided to be a little  
dramatic, your habits are contagious."  
"Dra..matic? That's it?" Michael repeated, his eyes dulling.  
Grace didn't say another word. He looked at her, but she revealed  
nothing to him.  
"It sounded genuine to me.." he murmured.  
"Don't flatter yourself."  
Michael clenched his hand into a fist, then frowned.  
"You know what your problem is? You can't be honest!"  
"Does being honest ever help?"  
"Well at least it lets other people know how you feel!"  
Then he stormed off out of the building. Grace sighed.  
She kept fingering her ring as she watched him leave.  
  
Usagi looked at Mamoru. His skin was draining colour every hour.  
She wondered if he would wake up, if he would ever resume a normal  
state. Why had Mamoru suddenly become like this? Because she had  
told him she loved Michael, when in fact ever since she had that  
dream, it hadn't been the case?  
"I'm so sorry Mamoru," she whispered, her voice choked. "I'm sorry.  
It's my fault. Please wake up..."  
And she stroked his soft hair, reminding her of the little boy who  
was lying back in another hospital. Now what had she often done to  
help the little boy? She had sung to him, told him funny stories  
or listened to his own stories. Things she had done with Mamoru  
because she had learned while she was training that patients liked  
to have someone with them. But how had she known it would end up  
like this?  
"Mamoru...." she whispered, hoping he would hear her. "I love you.  
Please wake up. Please come back. You can't leave me like this."  
She sobbed and buried her face in his arms, feeling no warmth at all.  
  
The darkness creeped up on Mamoru's unconscious body. A light glow  
protected him, but every minute it inched closer and closer, engulfing  
everything. It turned everything into nothing, into darkness. Out of  
the darkness, the princess emerged once more. Her calm composure was  
no longer evident and her eyes filled with concern and a hint of fear.  
She kneeled beside Mamoru's lifeless body. She placed her thin, pale  
hand above his heart and with a quick motion, she pulled out a black,  
disfigured rose. The princess cast her eyes sadly to the handsome  
face, losing colour.  
"Didn't she tell you to hold on, even if it was painful?" the princess  
whispered.  
The rose started to crumble, its petals falling one by one.  
"Can't you hear me?" her voice whispered, shaking.  
Her hand touched his cheek and felt his skin was cold. She started  
to cry and buried her face in his arms. The rose was clutched in her  
fingers, now with only a few petals left.  
  
Mamoru's eyes flickered open. He found himself in complete darkness.  
How long had he been here, unconscious? He saw wrinkled, faded rose  
petals nearby. Where had they come from? There was also a single,  
pearl earring in his hand. The silvery white glow reminded him of  
somebody... The princess... He sat up and breathed deeply, feeling  
the blood pumping around his body. He felt cold and numb.  
  
The dull tone of the machine picked up a heart rate. Usagi lifted  
her head from the bed and turned to the machine. Sure enough, the  
red line was moving up and down. She squeezed his hand and felt  
a little warmth.  
"Mamoru..." she murmured, then touched his cheek.  
Then she clutched his hand and held it against her heart.  
  
In the darkness, Mamoru thought he heard somebody call his name.  
He must be hearing things. The rose petals had somehow disappeared  
and so had the pearl earring. Mamoru heard another sound. Footsteps.  
He turned to the sound and saw the little girl.  
"What are you doing here?" he asked, confused.  
"That's what I came to ask you," she whispered, then walked closer  
to him.  
The little girl and Mamoru were on the same eye level, her eyes  
curiously questioning him.  
"I thought I wasn't having these dreams any more? Why are you  
still here?" he murmured, unable to escape from her gaze.  
"I'm here because she is here too. Right beside you. She always  
has been. And don't you remember? I told you that even if it  
hurts, don't let it go."  
"But she doesn't love me... There isn't any point. I heard her  
say it..."  
"Sometimes we say things we don't mean..." she smiled.  
Mamoru felt her hand on his cheek, but it didn't feel like her  
hand at all. It didn't feel like a little girl's hand at all.  
Then she kissed his lips, making Mamoru close his eyes. His mind  
was whirling and dizzy. Then he thought he heard Usagi's voice  
calling his name again..... Was she? He wasn't sure of anything  
any more. He felt something changing. As if his body was  
somewhere else, shifting. But he was too afraid to open his eyes.  
He didn't want to find himself in the darkness again. Nothing  
seemed to make sense any more. The hand on his cheek felt so  
real and so much like Usagi. And it wasn't a little girl kissing  
him, he was sure of that.  
  
Usagi felt Mamoru responding to her kiss and her eyes flickered  
open to meet those deep blue eyes that somehow, didn't seem so  
sad any more. His hand touched her hand that was on his cheek.  
He pulled her away so he could look at her.  
"Usagi?" he murmured, sounding a little disorientated.  
"It's me," she smiled.  
Her heart beat fast and she hugged him to make sure it was all  
real and he wasn't just a dream.  
"Are you okay?" she asked.  
"I'm feeling fine..." he whispered.  
Then he smiled.  
"I'm sorry Mamoru.. I'm so sorry," Usagi murmured softly.  
"Sorry about what?"  
"Sometimes I say things I don't mean," she cried, tears suddenly  
falling from her smiling eyes. "I love you Mamoru.... And I'm so  
glad you're okay."  
He smiled, remembering the little girl saying it.  
  
I can't remember why  
I chose to say goodbye  
I ended up too high  
But never learned to fly  
So coming down I'm very thankful   
... you were there  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
THE END  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The passage is lyrics from Delerium's song Wisdom ^_^ It's a  
nice image song for this fic I think.... *sighs dreamily*  
I love the lyrics in this song... wait, I just love this song  
full stop ^_^ Anyway, here's happy ending so you can sleep in  
peace without chasing me around with a chainsaw and whip *ahem*  
*hint hint* Minako chan... 


End file.
